20
Everybody screamed and screamed and screamed. Heero thought about all the things he would never be able to tell Relena and all the things she deserved to know already. Quatre's whole life flashed before him. Trowah…was alive. So was everyone else. Relena was looking in the box with a wondering expression. She pulled a little note card out and read it aloud:
"Relena, I'm sorry I couldn't be there personally to wish you the best birthday ever, but please accept this small token of my love for you. Love, Millardo and Lucretzia." Relena reached into the box---and pulled out a mink stole! She gasped and threw it around her shoulders.
"Relena, its stunning!" Dorothy exclaimed.
"Look at my girl," Duo bragged, "she's got that bling-bling now!" Relena laughed, and Dorothy followed, initiating a wave of laughter through the house. The music was back on, and everybody danced more. Heero soon threw off his jacket, revealing his bandaged arm. Relena caught a glimpse of it. She kept dancing with Duo, but worried about Heero, injured during peacetime. The dancing paused for cake, pizza, and charades after another hour or two. Then everyone became quite exhausted, except for Dorothy and Quatre, who could have danced all night, even after a dance contest.
The party abruptly ended. Dorothy helped Relena gather her gifts. Heero tried to think of a good excuse to take Relena home in the convertible. He couldn't think of one, so he let her say her good byes and ushered her into his 20-grand sedan. They drove in happy silence for a few minutes.
"Thank you, Heero, I know this party was your idea."
"Your welcome."
"Heero, please tell me what happened to your arm."
Heero paused, trying to think of a good lie. "I was cleaning my gun. I accidently shot myself."
"Oh, come on, Heero. You don't make mistakes like that. And you've told better lies." They arrived at Marquis Wayridge's.
"Tell me the truth," Relena said, laying a hand on his. He looked at her with sad eyes. She felt his grief and her face saddened, too.
"Vincent shot me."
"I liked the first lie better." Relena muttered, taking her hand away.
"Relena!" he raised his voice and grabbed her by her shoulders, "You have got to get the hell out of this fantasy you live in! I'm not going to make up shit like that just to hurt you, Relena. You know that. When I say Vincent is cheating on you, his ass is cheating on you. But you know what, its up to you to decide whether or not I'm telling you the truth. All I can do is offer it to you and pray that your world will twist around just enough for you to see that the one man that loves you here is me, Relena."
Heero let her go, tears, welling in his eyes. Relena signed and a tear rolled down her cheek.
"I know, Heero, I know he doesn't love me. Somehow I allowed myself to fall in love with him. He wasn't much of a social life. I was. He just wanted to be popular (for lack of a better term)." Heero shook his head and drove away to show Relena what Vincent's favorite hobby was. The red sports car was in his drive way. The blinds were open, and Vincent was already going at it with some other girl. Relena turned her face away from the hurtful scene and Heero took her out of there.
"I never wanted to believe he didn't love me. I'm so sorry." She whispered. Heero looked at her. She looked at him. He gently smoothed her hair down and touched her lips with his thumb. She kissed his finger. He kissed her deeply. She lay her hands on his chest and he wrapped his arm around her waist. She kissed him deeper than he had kissed her. Her hands slipped under his shirt and she caressed his hard body. He kissed down her neck and collarbone, nipping at her breasts. Relena bumped up against a button in the car and the windows fogged up, giving the two lovers a bit of privacy.