An: Thanks for the reviews everybody! I'm starting on each chapter ASAP, and I promise I won't take a long time w/ updates. Hope you're all enjoying it!
Disclaimer: ...sighs Do I really have to repeat this? someone yells 'yes' All right! I do not own Gundam Wing. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW!?! smiles Thank you for your time.
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Ch. 3 – Denial & Acceptance
"Oh, hunny, you did so good!" Hilde embraced Relena as she walked off the stage in a near state of shock.
"I did?" Her eyes surveyed the area. No, he wasn't here. She'd imagined it. –But I saw him! –
Hilde cupped her hands around Relena's shoulders and pushed her back, looking her in the eyes. "Are you all right?" – She looks very pale. Something's wrong. –
"No...I don't feel well. Perhaps we should go home..." She looked down, trying to push him to the back of her mind. –Please, Hilde, just let us go home. I can't deal with this. I can't deal with him. –
"Don't you want to stay and see if you won?" Hilde smiled at her with hope. –Relena, I have to keep you here for just a few minutes. Surely Heero saw you up on that stage! He had to! Maybe she saw him, too. –
"How long?" –I can't stay long. I can't see him. Not now, not tonight –
"Just a few minutes..." –I pray just a few minutes–
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"Duo, we're leaving." Heero growled for the third time since she had descended from her heavenly pilaster.
"C'mon, buddy, you said you'd give me tonight." –Heero, you've gotta give me tonight!–
"I changed my mind." –Give me two more minutes of this Duo, and you won't have a face in two more.–
"C'mon! A promise is a promise!" Duo begged, trying everything to get him to stay just a minute, thirty seconds, longer. "Relena! Why on earth are you in such a hurry to leave!?!" Hilde screamed, but it was not out of earshot. The two bickering couples were nearly back to back now. Duo and Hilde had succeeded in getting them within feet of one another.
"Let's just-" Relena cut herself off with a gasp as she turned around. "...leave." –Oh gosh, oh no. What do I do? Move, Relena, Move! –
Heero turned around to leave, ignoring Duo's pleas but ran straight into Relena. "Oh I'm-" He looked down into the face of an angel. –Relena Peacecraft, oh dear gosh, I just ran into Relena Peacecraft–
"Sorry." She said coolly and walked past him without looking back. –Keep walking, just keep walking, Rel. You're only a short distance from the door. Keep walking! –
"Uh hum!" Hilde cleared her throat, but Relena made no effort to turn around. "UH HUM!" She tried louder, but no luck. Relena was getting away, and Heero was getting away even faster.
"Hey, man! Did you not see who that was?" Duo asked, amazed at the pace his 'buddy' was moving.
"No, I didn't see anyone." Heero shoved the backdoor of the club open and stomped out to the street.
"That hott chick you ran into? You didn't see her?" Duo asked, flabbergasted. –How could this not work? –
"Nope" He began his walk back to the motel.
"You plan to WALK?" Duo was even taken more aback by this.
"Yeah. You some brainless man in some scrap yard car to drive you home. I'll save my money for a plane ticket." He kept walking and never looked back to see the absolutely shocked expression on Duo's face.
–I failed...–
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"Relena! Relena, wait!" Hilde called after her, watching her disappear into a yellow taxi cab.
"Paradise Hotel, please." Relena asked sweetly, ignoring Hilde's cries.
Hilde put her hand in the door just before Relena could close it. "Caught ya." She smiled and sat down next to her. "Thought we were gonna stick around for the Karaoke results."
"Changed my mind." Relena stared out the window, never looking at her ex- best friend.
"Why?" Hilde asked, biting her lip to keep her anger to herself.
"No reason." –I've taken lessons from the great, emotionless Heero Yuy. I can show no feeling. I feel nothing. I feel nothing. Oh, gosh, I feel something...–
"It had nothing to do with that handsome young man who bumped into you, did it?" Hilde's voice was just as cool. –You will not win, Relena. You will give in. We've worked too hard for you two to go home alone! –
"What man?" She looked back at Hilde and smiled. –I do not love you, Heero Yuy. I do not love you. –
"The man who nearly knocked you off your feet."
"Off my..." Relena looked down, but only for a moment. She picked her head back up and smiled again. "Oh, yes, that man. No, he means nothing to me."
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"Relena, are you all right?" Hilde asked eyeing her over for the fourth or fifth time. She was sitting on her bed reading, but the page had not been turned for nearly fifteen minutes. Her eyes were wide open. She was not asleep. She was wide awake, and Hilde thought she had seen a teardrop slip down her cheek.
"Yeah, this story's just too sad for me. Perhaps I should put it down for a while..."
"Yeah, maybe.."
Relena looked about the room for a reason to leave. Then she noticed the empty ice bucket. "I think I'd like something cool to drink. Why don't I go and get some ice?"
"Sure, would you like me-"
"No! I mean, I'll be glad to do it." She scampered up and grasped the bucket. Calmly, she walked out the door, but once she was out, she ran. She ran down the three flights of stairs to the ground level. From there, she walked out of the hotel, down the splintery boardwalk, and out onto the cool night sand.
She inhaled the sea breeze as she walked out farther. The gentle wind blew her silk nightgown and teased her hair. "So peaceful..." She sighed.
"Yes it is..." A male voice echoed beside her.
She looked up, startled but saw no one. To her left, no one, to her right, no one. Then she turned around completely, behind her stood that which she ran from. "Heero..."
"Hello Relena."
She looked down. –Don't look at him. Whatever you do don't look at him. – "What are you doing here?"
He placed his hand under her chin and looked her in the eyes. "I came for you." He bent down and brushed his lips against hers.
–Don't fall. You can't fall. But I've all ready fallen...–
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An: I really hope you liked! Yes, it was kinda short, but I was trying to get one up for you guys, and I've been so busy!!! End of the year, school, dance, etc, etc. When all this is done, I'll be able to do it faster and faster, longer and longer. I'm trying though! Please review! I love feedback!!!
Special Thanks:
Wing – Thanks so much for the review! No, Hilde and Duo only think they've failed. They never TRULY fail. I hope I never make you a hater, but I hope you do keep liking the story. Thanks again.
Eishirou – Thanks for the review. No, I wouldn't want to be Duo or Hilde on this little 'project' either. To top it all off, they think they've failed. Oh, boy, are they gonna be surprised at how wrong they are!
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