Heero was standing in the foyer at the base of the stairs fidgeting with the cuffs of his tux. He'd never been this nervous in his life. When he was a soldier failure meant death. Odd that he was never as nervous about death as he was about this. If he failed today he'd live, but he'd only be half a man. He started to pace. The other people in the room discreetly choose to ignore him. After about the twentieth time of telling him to relax they gave up.
Relena had to say yes. He knew he didn't have the emotional strength in him if she said no. His face twisted into a sour look. That was what was always wrong in their relationship. He'd spent so much time burying his weaker emotions he didn't know how to trust them when they were in control of him. Of course he wasn't always to blame. Relena had to grow up emotionally too. She'd spend the bulk of her energies on being so likeable she'd stop being who she really was. He wanted the flawed woman he really loved, not a pleasant façade. In the past whenever one of them would try to overcome their emotional handicap the other was always twice as crippled by theirs. Or social standing got in the way, or her brother, or one of a dozen other things. He devoutly hoped they were both past that by now. He was incomplete without Relena end of story.
Heero stopped his pacing when he saw Anna walking towards him.
"She's almost ready. She'll be down in a moment, and for the last time relax. She loves you every bit as much as you love her. Trust in that."
"Are you certain you just couldn't use your psychic ability and just tell me what to do?" Anna just leveled him a look of amusement mixed with sympathy. She absolutely refused to help him cheat his way to success. She figured it would be a more treasured memory if he did it on his own. Right now that reasoning sounded stupid to him. He returned her look. She was dressed in a stunning red gown that beautifully matched the Winner rubies she was wearing. Off in the corner Shelby looked just as lovely decked out in an ivory dress. He wasn't usually so poetic but together they were like a ruby and a pearl.
And in walked his diamond. Relena was wearing a pale silver dress that sparkled. How does she do that? He wondered. She couldn't have looked more perfect if she tried.
"Heero, darling you look wonderful in evening attire." She briefly glanced about the foyer at the others there "As do you all. I'm glad you all chose to come with us tonight. These parties are usually mind-numbingly boring. Is the car out front yet?"
"Um… we're going to be a little late tonight. I have a surprise for you." Heero answered quietly. He was finding his voice wasn't working so well. Figuring action would be better than trying to control his cracking voice; Heero turned and opened the sliding doors to the front sitting room. The room had several people in it, but one was far more distinctive than the rest.
"Milliardo!" Relena screamed and leapt at her brother. "Milliardo! Noin! I've missed you so much! What are you doing here? What? Dorothy? Hilde? Will somebody tell me what's going on?"
Zechs embraced his sister tightly. "Heero invited us, and didn't give us room for refusal." The tall man gave Heero a not so friendly glare then turned his smiling handsome face back on his sister. "Not that I would have missed seeing you anyway."
"But I invite you all the time and you never travel this far…" she stepped back form her brother and turned to Heero "alright Yuy what's going on?"
Oh god he couldn't do this. Not in front of so many people! What if he made an ass of himself? He'd never live it down. No, he had to make a fool of himself. Women loved it when men embarrassed themselves on their behalf. Plus she wouldn't say no in front of all these people would she? He wasn't pondering for very long, but he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Duo's voice in his head.
Move your ass Yuy.
Amen from Trowa
If you made me dress up like this for no reason, I shall make you pay. Was Wufei's thought.
Come on Heero, was Quatre's much gentler tone it's too late to back out now. Trust me, it's not as bad as it seems.
He didn't know whether to thank the two psionic women or yell at them, but their tactic worked.
"I invited them here because they are important to you. I figured you might like it better this way." Pulling out the ring box he had in his pocket he knelt down on the floor in front of her. "Relena Dorilan Peacecraft. Will you marry me? Right here, right now, tonight?"
One heartbeat; her eyes turned completely round. Two heartbeats; so did her mouth. Three heartbeats; why doesn't she say something? Four heartbeats; oh good she's going to say something.
"Here?! Now?! Tonight?! Heero Yuy! Have you gone crazy?!"
His heart rate tripled in speed and his stomach dropped through the floor. Okay, don't panic. It's not like you didn't expect this to happen. He told himself. Okay you had a response planned. What was it? Oh god! WHAT WAS IT? Don't panic don't panic don't panic.
"No I haven't gone crazy. Yes tonight. Relena, I will have to share you with the rest of the world for the rest of my life. I accept that. I don't want to share this with them too. I want this to be just about us, and shared only with the people who are the most important to us. Please understand. I do know that many women like time to plan weddings, and I'll respect your wish if that's what you want."
He was still kneeling on the floor. Relena walked up to him and ran her fingers through the hair that just refused to be tamed. She pulled his head to her belly and forced him to look up at her.
"I hear big flashy society weddings are just as mind-numbing as big flashy society balls." Pulling him up to stand and smiling at him, "Besides, you went to so much trouble for me. How many times in my life am I going to see that? Yes Heero Yuy. Here, now, tonight, yes."
*****************
They took several cars to the party. By unspoken accord the group let the newlyweds take the last car alone to have some time to themselves. Wufei was stuck in the first car with Trowa, Dorothy, and Hilde. Quatre, Duo, Anna, and Shelby were in the second. Having traveled for three days straight, Zechs and Noin along with their daughter Mila stayed home to get some rest.
"I still can't believe Quatre is engaged." Dorothy said quietly from her seat. "And the change in Duo…" she flicked a look over at Hilde in case her comment sparked some sort of pain in the other woman.
For all that their relationship had been over for years, Hilde still loved Duo. The whole time they'd been together, she always felt him keeping a part of himself away from her. She kept figuring in time he would one day let go of whatever was holding him back. It stung like hell that he could only do that with someone else. What was so wrong with me? She thought.
"There's nothing wrong with you." Towa said to her. Hilde didn't realize she voiced the last part aloud until Trowa responded. "You shouldn't try to find fault in yourself for what happened between you two. It's a little complicated, but Shelby had Duo's heart long before you did. She would have always been in the way."
Hilde gave Trowa a puzzled look. "He never mentioned anyone before. I was his firs- ahem I mean he never mentioned having a girlfriend before me."
"That's the complicated part." Wufei leaned forward. His face showed more gentleness than she'd ever figured possible from him. "Hilde, you're an attractive, intelligent woman with a kind heart. You should have no problem finding a thousand men willing to take Duo's place." He shot her his most charming smile. "Now before the masses swarm you and I don't get a chance, would you like to be my date for the party?"
Hilde just sat there and blinked at him a few moments. She'd never seen him be charming before. Of course usually when she did see him it was with Duo. She supposed Duo's over the top boyish charm easily hid Wufei's more subtle quiet one. She returned his smile with a warm one of her own. She could tell he was trying to make her feel better, and it worked.
"Actually, I was hoping to be Trowa's date. I've been dying to be out on a date with him ever since I saw him ride on the back of a lion." She turned to Trowa her face filled with pleading amusement "Whadda say? Care to fulfill one of my long standing fantasies?"
The only indication Trowa gave that he'd been listening, was that his eyebrows had both shot up. "Alright" he said carefully.
"Well" Dorothy said to Wufei twitching one of her own oddly shaped brows. "I guess you're stuck with me."
Wufei kept his smile in place, but inside his nerves started jumping. He was having enough Catalonia trouble already. It's only for one night.
