Nine: Promises
Heero and Relena's favorite restaurant was less lively than usual. Only a few diners occupied the place, and some of them were getting ready to leave. One table in particular sat in the corner. There was a sign on the table that read "Reserved" yet no one was sitting in it. Wufei entered the restaurant and took a seat at the table. A waitress came by.
"Will you be with Mr. Yuy's party, sir?"
"Is he here?"
"No, sir. He has not been here all evening."
"Give me a soda." The waitress nodded and went off to get his order. He watched the diners to pass the time. Quatre entered the restaurant and walked over to him.
"Wufei, have you seen Miss Relena?" Wufei was startled by the sudden question, but relaxed when he saw it was only Quatre. "I bring a message to her from Heero."
"Well, what's the message? And where's Heero?" Quatre sighed and slowly sank into the other chair. The waitress reappeared with Wufei's order. She turned to Quatre but he waved her off.
"You see, Heero's aunt in St. Petersburg has suddenly taken ill with a…" Quatre paused as if trying to remember the word. "What you would call a…" He paused again, wrinkling his brow in thought.
"A rare tropical disease," Wufei suggested.
"That's not bad. So anyway, he has to… to, uh…" Wufei smiled a little; Quatre wasn't very good at lying.
"Quatre, what's the message? And where is Heero?" Quatre glanced around the restaurant warily, then leaned in closer.
"The sniper mission's still going on," he hissed.
"Since last night?"
"Bud Jugge being a big show-off does not wish the mission to terminate. In fact, he is most insistent." Quatre rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Heero's at the end of his rope."
"There's not much I can do about that." Relena came over and put her hand on Quatre's shoulder. Wufei nodded to her politely. Quatre stood up, looking a little awkward.
"I'll meet you outside."
"What about Heero's message?"
"Oh, yeah." Quatre turned to Relena. "Miss Relena, Heero's in St. Petersburg with a rare tropical ant." He paused to make sure he had gotten it right; when he realized he hadn't, he shrugged it off. "Good-bye."
"What?" Relena frowned. Quatre ignored her question. Relena sat down where he had once been sitting. "Wufei, I don't understand. Heero has to come tonight! We're eloping to get married." Her face turned sad. "Is it a sniper mission again?"
"You know Heero," Wufei shrugged. Relena clicked her tongue angrily. "Why does it surprise you?"
"But he promised he'd change!"
"Change, change. Why is it all of a sudden you girls get a guy you like, you take 'em right back in for alterations?"
"And what about you men?" she countered. "Why can't you marry like other people, and live normal like people? Have a home with… wallpaper and… bookends." She smiled, a dreamy look in her eyes. Wufei shook his head. I can't believe she actually thought Heero was going to marry her.
"No, Miss Relena."
"What do you mean, no?"
"Guys like Heero Yuy… and, yeah, Wufei Chang-- they don't belong in a life like that. So when girls like you get mixed up with guys like us, it's no good. It's just no good." He became suddenly very sad. He dropped a few coins on the table. "Well, I'll see you in a couple months."
"Where are you going?"
"I don't know; Beijing, maybe. I've got a ticket on a late plane."
"Will you see Heero before you go?"
"Possibly," Wufei shrugged.
"Tell him, I never want to talk to him again…. Oh, and have him call me here." Wufei rolled his eyes. I wish this girl would make up her mind for once.
"Miss Relena, why don't you find yourself another guy?"
"I can't!" she whined. "I love Heero. Just wait 'till you fall for someone, then you'll find out."
"Yeah," agreed Wufei grimly. He left her, his face grim. Relena sighed and idly pushed a fork back and forth on the table. She glanced sadly at the empty seat across from her.
"In other words,
Just from sitting alone at a table reserved for two,
A person can develop the flu
You can bundle her up in her woolies,
And I mean the warmest brand.
You can wrap her in sweaters and coats,
Till it's more than her frame can stand.
If she still gets the feeling she's naked,
From looking at her left hand,
A person can develop the flu, the flu,
A hundred and three point two!
So much virus inside,
That her microscope slide,
Looks like a day at the zoo!
Just from wanting her memories in writing,
And a story her folks can be told,
A person, can develop the flu."
======
"I hung up on him, Amy!" Mina shrieked, wringing her tissue into nonexistence. "He asked me out on a date and I hung up on him!" Amy listened to her friend but couldn't help being a bit amused at the situation. Mina had finished telling her the whole story about her conversation with Quatre and his sudden request for a date.
"Why?"
"I haven't the slightest idea! Amy, I'm such a big dope. He'll never want to go out with me now!" Mina grabbed another tissue from the box and dabbed at her eyes. "What do I do? You've got to help me, Amy!"
"Please calm down, Mina."
"Quatre asked me out! I can't even remember what he said!" The poor blonde started bawling and Amy patted her shoulder, looking completely clueless for the first time in her life.
"I'm sorry I'm not much help, Mina." At that moment Serena bounced into the room, almost literally.
"Serena, help me!" Mina shrieked, throwing herself on the ditzy moon princess.
"No offense to Serena, but you must be pretty desperate, Mina!" Amy noted.
"Hey, what does that mean?" Serena growled. Mina was too busy wallowing in self-pity to notice what her friends were doing.
"Can we please focus on me for once?!"
"Why? What's your problem?" asked Serena innocently. This only made Mina more upset. "It's not about a guy, is it?"
"Of course it's about a guy!!!"
"Lower the decimals, Mina, and tell me what's going on." Mina launched into her story yet again, pausing to make good use of her tissue every two sentences. "That was a pretty stupid thing to do, Mina. You know that, right?"
"Yeah! That's why I'm so upset!"
"Why can't you call him back and apologize?" There was a pause; Mina blinked in bewilderment.
"I guess… I didn't think about that." Serena and Amy groaned.
"You see, Mina?" Amy sighed. "You overreact too much." Serena agreed heartily to this statement. Mina ignored them and immediately set to work calling Quatre.
"Hi, Quatre! No, nothing's wrong. I just…" Mina glanced over at her friends. They shook their heads and motioned for her to continue. "I wanted to call and ask when we're meeting for the movie." Serena gave her the thumb's up. "Okay, great. See you there." She hung up and flashed a grin at her friends. "I'm going on a date, you guys!"
======
Relena stomped down the street. She had a newspaper in her hands but she wasn't reading the words. She stared at them, sure enough, but not a single word registered. She was far too angry to read. She glanced up and saw Heero coming her way. She idly dropped the paper. He had been staring at the ground but looked up when he saw the paper drop.
"Relena!"
"Oh, what a coincidence!" she cried in pseudo-surprise.
"Relena, did Quatre explain to you about tonight? I hope you're not sore about it."
"Please!" she huffed. "Let's not have a vulgar scene! After all, we are civilized people. We don't have to conduct ourselves like a slob!" She gave him a dirty look.
"Relena, what is this? You are my girl."
"Your girl? Please! If that weren't so amusing one would laugh at it."
"Relena, you're getting yourself all worked up-- over one lousy elopement!" She stared at him in shock. One lousy elopement? she thought irritably. I can't believe him! "Relena, please!"
"It's no use, Heero. I have succeeded in you not being able to upset me anymore. I've got you completely out of my mind!" She smiled triumphantly. His face dropped and she instantly regretted her last sentence. "Oh, Heero!"
"Relena, don't ever do that to me again, I can't stand it," he said, putting his arms around her. She nestled her head into his chest. "There's something I have to tell you, and this time I'll tell you the truth." He pushed her back so he could see her face. Relena felt herself blushing. No matter how many times she looked at Heero, he never seemed to be any less handsome.
"We're not getting married?"
"No, we're not."
"But…"
"That was a cover-up. You walked into us planning a sniper mission."
"Oh. I see," she muttered. She made to leave but he stood in her way.
"Hear me out. I'm sorry I lied, but I didn't want to crush your hopes. I promise you some day we will get married. I'm not quite ready for that yet but I know I will be some day. I promise it'll happen, okay?" She tore away from him.
"You promise me this, you promise me that! You promise me anything under the sun!"
"But this time I'm telling the truth." She sighed and allowed him to take her in his arms again. She stared into his eyes.
"I don't know why, but I believe you."
"I love you, Relena," he whispered.
"Yes. And I love you, Heero." He gently kissed her on the lips.
======
Wufei found himself walking slower than usual. His thoughts were on Raye and Raye alone. He didn't even give Heero and Relena's relationship a moment in his mind; Raye dominated. He had previously made a list in his mind of all the reasons why the two of them couldn't really be together, and afterwards he became thoroughly depressed. Who knew love could do this to a person? If he had known it would come to this, would he have allowed himself to fall for Raye? Yes, he would have, with no regrets.
"Wufei!" He froze in his tracks. He knew that clear, beautiful sound from anywhere. "Wufei, where are you going?" He turned and smiled as Raye ran over to him. He fought the urge to take her in his arms then and there. She paused to catch her breath then repeated her question: "Where are you going?"
"Away."
"Why? For how long?"
"Well, I…" He paused and stared into her eyes. What am I thinking? Can I really leave her, if only for a while? "Look, Raye. When girls like you get mixed with guys like me, it's no good. I'm no good."
"Is that why you're leaving?"
"Yes."
"But Wufei…" She drew closer and took his hand in hers. "Don't you understand? Love knows no boundaries."
"Raye, it's you that doesn't understand."
"Quiet!" she ordered, placing her finger on his lips. "Not another word. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, or looking over your shoulder at the past all the time. Here and now, this moment-- that's what matters." She smiled and kissed his lips. Oh, my god! Wufei awkwardly pulled away.
"Raye…"
"I love you, Wufei," she confessed. "Is that all right with you?" He allowed a genuine, happy smile to cross his face.
"Of course, as long as you allow me to love you."
======
The five girls met together and talked about all that had happened. It seemed as if none of them were very eager to leave this new world. Serena whined about never seeing Darien again; Amy was still working out that part. There was also the mess of their world never having the senshi again. Finally the girls decided to let what happened happen.
"After all, if we're meant to go back we'll get there somehow," was Amy's conclusion.
"I don't want to go back!" Lita decided. "I know we have a duty as senshi and that really should be more important than a guy, but… I love Trowa!" Her face glowed at the mention of his name.
"We all have reasons to stay," Amy admitted, "and w all have reasons to go. I guess in this instance love will have to conquer all." Three of the five girls grinned broadly. Actually, all five were grinning, but only three were smiling because of their reasons to stay.