Disclaimer: I do not own anything having to do with Gundam Wing

The Perfect Prom

"Say, Heero, did you ask Relena to the prom yet?" Duo asked, and grinned mischievously in the face of Heero's returning glare.

Heero decided that the comment did not deserve a response and continued to walk off quickly. Duo stopped in his tracks and sighed. Dramatically, he raised his hands to the ceiling and exclaimed, "Look at that! Yet another death glare!"

Quatre chuckled. Wufei rolled his eyes. "Duo, shut up," he scowled.

"Well, what lucky girl are you taking to the prom?" Duo said, ignoring him.

"Girl? I will take no weak woman! Hah!" Wufei scowled again.

"Ok, so what lucky guy are you taking?" Duo laughed as he ran away with Wufei in hot pursuit close behind.

"I hope Duo never changes," Quatre murmured, still laughing. "Say, Trowa, who are you taking to the prom?"

"I'm not going," the tall acrobat replied, monotonously.

"Oh, I see," Quatre said. He looked slightly crestfallen, but Trowa did not say anything else.



"Prom, prom, prom," Heero muttered. "Why is everyone talking about prom? Doesn't matter. This whole thing doesn't involve me." He continued to stare blankly out the window of the classroom.

****

Wufei got tired of chasing Duo and paused to catch his breath. But Duo's comments gotten him thinking. "Prom? I have no women friends….[he snorted]…not that I want any" he quickly reminded himself. Suddenly, he stopped scowling. "I wonder what a prom would be like with you, Nataku," Wufei murmured under his breath, thinking about his dead wife. She was the strongest woman he had ever known, and he had never found another. Except for maybe…"No way," he thought in disbelief. "Maybe her?"

****

Quatre toyed with his notebook. He did not hear a word that the teacher was saying. Instead, he stared in front of him, at the back of Trowa's head. Somehow, he determined, he was going to make Trowa go to the prom.

****

Trowa was also not paying attention. He was conscious of Quatre's stare, more conscious than he would ever admit to anyone, even to himself. "No," he thought to himself. "It would never work. A nameless soldier like me and someone like-" he stopped at the sudden pounding of his heart. Always act on your emotions, he remembered a faint voice whispering. A tiny grin tugged on his lips, unseen by anyone.

****

Relena and Hilde were walking together in the hallway. The school princess and the infamous tomboy made an odd pair, but they were friends nonetheless.

"I don't think he'll ever ask me to the prom," Relena was saying dispiritedly.

"Well, why don't you ask him?" Hilde asked.

"Yeah right!" Relena said sarcastically. "Look what he did to my birthday party invitation! Ripped it up into shreds and threatened to kill me! Can you imagine what he'd do if I asked him to the prom?" Relena realized she was shouting and quickly calmed down. A Peacecraft was always supposed to be composed.

"But that was a long time ago, Relena," Hilde said, brushing the past aside. "Remember the teddy bear? That was definitely sweet."

"True," Relena admitted. "And it would be a dream come true, just him and me at the prom together." She sighed, and her eyes glazed over as she daydreamed. "Heero!" she murmured wistfully.

Hilde rolled her eyes.

1 Later…

Heero and Duo were at their lockers. For once, Duo was actually silent. Relena watched them quietly, and then summoned up all of her courage. Hilde hid her nervousness and walked right up to them. She tapped Duo on the shoulder.

"Hey, Duo?" she said quickly.

Duo whirled around, his features tightened in an automatic reflex to danger. But he quickly relaxed when he saw it was her. "Oh, hey Hilde what's-"

She didn't let him finish. "wannagotopromwithme?" she blurted out.

"What?" he looked confused.

"Do you want to go to the prom with me?" she repeated more slowly this time. She wrung her hands in despair and dropped her gaze. She was more nervous than she thought she was. Duo looked dumbfounded and Heero actually grinned at his dismay.

Relena took a deep breath. A rare Heero smile! He had to be in a good mood! She quickly sauntered up to him, smoothing her skirt as she went.

"Uh, hi Heero!" she said. Stupid! She berated herself.

"Relena," Heero said, monotonously. He turned back to his locker, and carefully took out his laptop.

She decided to take that as a good sign. "Heero, will you go to the prom with me?" For the first time in his life, Heero was caught off guard.

"Great!" she said, taking his silence for acquiescence. "The limo will be at Noin's place! See you there!" She quickly ran off, in utter happiness.

Heero stared after her taken aback.

****

Wufei dropped some change into the payphone. He grinded his teeth. He couldn't believe he was doing this! "Hello?" he said into the phone.

"Wufei? Is that you?" Sally Po answered.

2 At Noin's place, the day of the prom…

"Where's Relena?" Zechs asked as he lounged on her couch.

Noin sat beside him. "I think she's still dressing," she replied. She sighed. "Do you remember what our prom was like, Zechs?"

Zechs smiled slightly. "You said I was a better dancer, even though you were the better one."

"But it's true-" she started to protest.

"You always were trying to be second best," Zechs interrupted. But he said it kindly.

"Well," Noin said, contented. "You know the reason why." She glanced up at him and smiled to herself. "And don't make me repeat myself….again."

The doorbell rang. Noin hurried to answer it.

"Sally!" she exclaimed at the sight of the older woman. "You look beautiful!"

Sally actually reddened slightly. "Noin, you're gushing," she scolded, kiddingly.

Wufei tried to make himself invisible. Sally was the only woman that he respected. He was not in love with her, but he had to admit, she did look nice in a dress. He caught himself thinking 'soft' thoughts and promptly scowled.

A slick black car drove up and was expertly parked at the curb. Duo and Hilde jumped out.

"Hey Wu man!" Duo yelled up the steps.

Wufei's scowl deepened.

That was when Heero appeared. He walked with deadly grace and he was glowering inside his black suit. He was extremely uncomfortable to say the least.

"Heero!" Relena shouted as she ran down the stairs, nearly crashed into Zechs, sidestepped Noin, Sally, and Wufei neatly, and paid no attention to Hilde's laughter.

"I'm glad you're here," she said demurely. Or attempted to anyway.

"Relena," he said again, this time thoughtfully.

Duo watched the two of them, and a glint appeared in his large blue eyes.

At that moment, Catherine appeared by herself coming up the walk.

"Hi Catherine. Where's Trowa and Quatre?" Hilde asked.

"Trowa wanted a less formal gathering," Catherine replied. "They're having their own celebration at Quatre's estate. I just came to bring their well wishes."

The others all nodded their heads in understanding. Catherine grinned. She was glad that her brother had finally gotten in touch with his feelings.

****

3 At the prom…

After one dance, Heero quickly stole away. As he walked towards the exit, he noticed Wufei and Sally engrossed in some kind of debate.

Outside, he heard his name. He turned around to see Duo following him.

"Duo," he said. "What are you doing?"

"I couldn't let you leave alone," Duo said, smiling crookedly.

"Duo, I'm going to kill you."

Duo grinned again. He held out his hand. Heero stared at it as if it was some kind of poisonous snake.

"I know," Duo said, with unusual sensitivity.

"I'm not going back in there," Heero said tonelessly. "Prom is not for me."

Duo shrugged, but he still kept his hand out. "Me neither," he said hoarsely. "Let's go join Trowa and Quatre, and do a little celebrating on our own."

Finally, Duo was rewarded. Heero took his hand silently, and together, they strode off.

****

Relena wandered around the dance floor. "Hilde, I can't find Heero!" she exclaimed worriedly.

"And I can't find Duo," Hilde said, sadly.

"Lighten up, you two!" Dorothy appeared beside them. "Miss Relena, let go and just dance!" she added. She glanced over at Hilde. "You too."

Relena looked at her suspiciously for a moment and then sighed. Hilde grinned, once again. Her optimism once again overcame any doubts she had. "This is the prom, and we will have fun!" she shouted, determinedly.

Relena finally laughed. They began to dance to the blaring rock music.

Meanwhile, at Quatre's estate…

Heero sat with a drink and a slight smile on his face as Duo danced by himself to the music from Trowa's flute and Quatre's violin.

It was the perfect prom after all.



The End