Chapter 5: Wrapping Paper
"Pink?" Heero looked at the shimmering wrapping paper askance and Relena leaned over to unroll a length. They sat at a table with wrapping paper, scissors, tape, and assorted ribbons on it.
"What's wrong with pink?" she asked. "I happen to love that color." He squinted at her.
"I know," his mouth pressed into a thin line. "I've seen your car." Her hands stopped as she looked up at him, and then she started laughing.
"You know," he added after a few minutes, when she had calmed down, "maybe you should get it repainted. Blue or black are always nice."
"You would say that," she smiled, taping the side of one package. Heero took the moment to look at her. She had flowered and grown, filling out in the proper places, and was pretty and comfortable in jeans and an "I Love My Gundams" sweatshirt. Her hands were busy, and the left was covered with small pieces of tape as the right took the tape and held the folded paper down so that she could fasten it. It had been a long time since he had looked at her as female, and never had he seen her so beautiful. "Ack!" her hands slipped as she was lifting the package and he darted forward to catch the tumbling box before it could hit the floor and the contents break. Looking up, he found himself gazing into wide eyes that quickly melted into relief and she clapped briefly. "Good catch!"
"Sure." He handed it back to her and their fingers touched, eyes coming up and meeting above the package. Heero moved hesitantly toward her, drowning in her soft blue eyes, and – confident in what he found there – covered her mouth with his, the package slipping unheeded to the table as his arms encircled her waist and pulled her toward him, onto his lap. He lost himself for a moment; the girl in his arms was warm and responsive, and he trembled, feelings he had never experienced before shooting through him with incredible intensity.
"Heero," she breathed as his lips moved to nip at her neck, and her fingers laced themselves through his wildly thick hair, tugging lightly as he nibbled her honeyed skin.
"So I needn't have been so worried."
Relena leaped up, flushing wildly, as Heero's mother leaned against the doorjamb and smirked at them.
Relena clasped her hands nervously behind her back as they faced the woman and gave only fluttering quick glances to each occupant of the room, her cheeks aflame. "I promised Hilde I would help her," she got out awkwardly, "with . . . something." With the lame excuse her shield, she slipped past the older woman, avoiding her eyes, and hurried down the hallway to the den where she tried to lose herself with the others.
"I think you embarrassed her," Heero said as he wished his cheeks would cool down.
The woman at the door surveyed him a moment, then smiled. "I think I embarrassed you." A moment more and she added, "You could fry eggs on your face."
"Mother," he grated, suddenly annoyed. He looked up into widened cobalt blue eyes, exactly like his own except for the glint of malicious humor swirling in their depths. Her hair was darker than his own, but just as thick and luxurious. He lost his anger just as quickly, slumping slightly. "Let her be," he pleaded, but her eyes only twinkled as she turned.
"No, I think she's a fun one," the woman cast back a look to her exasperated son. "I might like her."
"Great," he muttered under his breath as she left.
