OUT OF TUNE
Chapter Nine: The Party Begins
Disclaimer: I do not own the cast of Gundam Wing nor the show itself. I do own this nifty little pocketknife though and will attack any and all who steal this fic!!! MWHAHAHAHA! Heh, never mind.
I'm kicking off this chapter with a few tender moments between Duo and Hilde, Heero and Relena, and Wufei and Sally. I needed a little change of pace! Each moment for each couple is loosely based on a different popular song, although I won't mention which. Although I must note that Wufei and Sally's little moment will be a long one because their song includes going to a party (there's your little hint).
Hilde brushed aside a tendril of her blue-black hair and analyzed her reflection. A large bulge in her tummy had replaced her once slim figure. But she caressed that bulge lovingly. 'If only I held the same love for the flab under my arms,' she thought wryly. However, she smiled anyway and clipped her bangs to one side with a red and green clip.
"There, as good as it's gonna get," she declared, her arms akimbo. Through her arms slipped two more, clad in black. They clutched her belly and began tickling it mercilessly.
"I'm the tickle monster, come to claim my two girls! Mwhahaha!!" came Duo Maxwell's voice. Hilde rolled her eyes and tugged playfully at one of her boyfriend's fingers.
"You're such a dork sometimes Duo," she cried, laughing. Duo's head appeared behind her in the mirror as his arms tightened around her middle. Hilde leaned back against his chest, her hand moving up to play with his long hair. His smile never faltered, despite her teasing. "You really ought to braid you hair soon, I don't like it when you braid it in the car on the way to someplace while driving with just your knees," she said, caressing his long, brown locks. Duo's grin widened.
"I'll have you know I haven't braided my hair in the car for over 5 months," he declared. "Not since…" he fell silent, searching her eyes in the mirror. But Hilde just smiled and snuggled into his neck.
"Since I told you I was pregnant," she whispered. Duo nodded, his smile fading. He'd changed a lot since he'd found out that he was going to be a father. Before the news, his doctor had told him that his heart, although healthy now, would soon feel the grief of eating so unhealthily. And he'd ignored it. But when he found out that he was going to be a daddy, a lot of risky behaviors were cut short.
Duo had refrained from taking too many active jobs at work, settling for more desk jobs. The occasional salad replaced his usual grease burger and fries. And he was a careful driver, no longer pushing the speed limit and turning corners like a madman.
"And what did you mean? Two girls my ass!" Hilde said, interrupting his thoughts. "I already know that this is mama's boy right here," she said, looking down at her tummy. Duo snorted.
"Feh, no way, that's daddy's little princess sleeping in there," his hands splayed across the surface of his girlfriend's abdomen. A small tremor met his hands. "Well, maybe not sleeping!" he corrected himself. Hilde laughed as Duo squatted down to place an ear to her belly.
"See, she's got her mother's fighting spirit," Duo joked. Hilde glared and placed one hand over Duo's and the other on his cheek. His eyes softened and his smile became tender as he gazed back up at her.
"You're wrong you know, he's got his father's Shinigami wild side running in him," she countered. Duo looked down and away, pulling himself from her stomach but keeping his hands protectively at her sides.
"Don't say that, Hilde," he said, standing and enveloping her in his arms. "Boy or girl, I don't care, but our baby's not going to have an ounce of Shinigami in it. I'm gonna make sure of that," he whispered into her short hair, lightly kissing her neck. "Not an ounce."
***
Heero sighed, picking himself up from his armchair. He felt weary, tired…old. His apartment seemed so empty. His Prussian blue eyes closed and a certain honey blonde haired woman entered his thoughts. Her face had always fascinated him. He forgot when it was that he noticed just how pretty her face was. Maybe it was that moment when he came so close to kissing her…he smiled. He forgot where they were when he asked her to trust him. All he honestly remembered was how much he just wanted to skip going to battle and pull her into his cockpit and fly away with her to anywhere. He'd only been 15 but the want to have her at his side at all times was as overpowering then as it was now. He'd even fought his fellow pilot to keep transportation open so he could see her.
However, as hard as it was being away from her, as hard as it was putting up with each day as a Preventer, his love held strong. Each time they could meet secretly was a cherished moment. And that was what kept it so hard on both of them, their secret; was there really a place for a relationship between a pacifist politician and a ex-gundam pilot? He could only hope to whatever deity that watched over him that there was.
Each dream that he had about her was an escape from his cruel reality. This apartment had seen many sessions of their displays of affection and the impression that she left on everyone and everything was almost palpable as he moved from his living room to his bedroom to change for the party.
He'd taken off his shirt and was picking out a suitable one for the occasion when his vid-phone rang. He checked the I.D. and saw the familiar number of the exact woman he'd been thinking of. Frantically, he pushed the button and almost grinned to see her glowing face light his apartment.
"Hello Heero," she said, beaming at him. Heero was never the type to showcase what he was feeling, but she could always read his eyes and tell what he was feeling. Her grin widened when she read the happiness in his eyes to see her.
"Afternoon Relena," he said, his voice hoarse. He pulled the vid-phone off the stand and sat on the arm of his chair. Relena giggled, catching sight of her lover's bare chest.
"I hope you're not going to Quatre's party in just that?" she said through her laughter. Heero allowed himself a small smile. Taking on a more festive air in the presence of his love, he looked down at himself in a joking manner.
"What this? I thought it very proper," he said monotonously, making her laugh even more. He let himself chuckle along with her.
"Well, I'm sure the rest of the girls wouldn't mind," she said, giving him a wink. Heero sighed happily. This is what he waited for everyday. His moment alone with just Relena. Moments with just them were what kept him going. It was kept him alive when he was alone without her.
"Gimme a break," he said, his shell cracking with each smile she pulled out on him. "Hilde's pregnant with Duo's kid, I hardly think she's interested in anything but food." He paused to laugh at Relena's stern expression but continued before she could scold him. "And Sally's seen me in worse condition, being a doctor and all."
"Should I watch out for her?" Relena asked, winking. Heero rolled his eyes.
"I doubt it, Wufei'd kill me anyway," he joked back, giving her a wink of his own.
"What about Dorothy?" Relena questioned, still smiling. Heero paused, before laughing again. "What? Heero?! What are you laughing at?! It's not fair, you know all that's going on with everyone while I'm stuck here," she said, sticking her tongue out at him. Heero stopped, his eyes staring into the screen into hers.
"Dorothy and Trowa are becoming an item," he informed her. Relena's eyes widened and she gasped happily.
"Really?! Oh, I wish I could be there!" Heero tuned out the rest of Relena's talk of how she knew Dorothy was going to ask Trowa to be roommates. He was wishing that her wish would come true. "Oh, damn them!" he heard Relena exclaim. He looked up to see her glaring at something off screen.
"What's wrong?" he asked. She suddenly looked tired, that look she'd acquire when someone put something else on her thin shoulders. As much as it hurt to see her suffer under such burdens, he knew she'd never let him help her carry them and it wasn't his place to offer in the first place. He was a Preventer and she was a politician.
"I have a meeting that I forgot about, I'm sorry-"
"Don't apologize," he told her, for what seemed the thousandth time. Heero knew that she was busy and although every once in awhile he'd be selfish and wish for more of her time, he knew that she had to work overtime just to give him the time that he got now. And yet she always apologized when she couldn't give him more.
"Right, sorry-er…" she laughed and looked down. Heero wished he could reach through the screen and touch her, lift her chin and kiss her. "I'd better get going, it's an hour drive." Heero nodded, tearing himself away from the screen.
"Hope you have fun at the party," she said, smiling. Heero returned the smile.
"Have fun at your meeting," he returned. Relena rolled her eyes before becoming a little more serious.
"Aishiteru, Heero," she whispered, her eyes reaching to him through the thousands of miles between them.
"Aishiteru, Relena."
"And Merry Christmas!" she finished with a smile. And then she cut the connection. He knew it was because she'd probably start crying if she didn't. And then he was alone, without her again.
***
Wufei was propped up against the headboard of his bed, reading a book. As his black eyes trailed the lines of meaningless words of the page he was on, he could hear the sound of Sally brushing her hair. She'd been rushing from room to room, looking for clothing selections and makeup. He set the book down in his lap and took off his glasses. He smiled as he heard her put the brush down and begin to dress. She was always so concerned with looking good but also the impression that she hadn't tried too hard. He chuckled quietly at the thought of her odd habits. He gathered his hair into a tight knot behind his head and considered it done.
"How do I look?" Sally asked, doing a full spin as Wufei looked up at her. She was standing in the doorway, her blonde hair pulled out of its casual pigtails and set free to cascade down and around her shoulders. Her lips, always a lovely red, had been painted a deeper shade and her blue eyes were complimented with blue powder atop her lids. A long green dress flowed down to her ankles and followed her curves wonderfully.
"You look wonderful," he answered, standing up. He pulled her coat from their desk chair and held it up for her, smiling back at her.
"Thank you," she said, curling into the warmth of the coat he'd bought her after their first year as Preventers. Wufei pulled on his own coat and placed a protective hand at the small of her back as he led her out of the bedroom and out of the small house they'd purchased together two months ago. As was his custom, Wufei grabbed the door before Sally and opened it for her. She groaned but with a smile in her eyes.
"You're too much, Wufei," she told him as he pulled himself into the vehicle. He rolled his eyes as he started the engine. Giving her the small smile that he reserved only for her, he drove them off to Trowa and Dorothy's apartment.
"Hard to believe Quatre's leaving," Sally said, entering and dispersing gently their comfortable silence. Wufei nodded in response. "I hope he'll be alright," Sally continued in a whisper.
"He is a gundam pilot, I think he'll handle Earth fine," Wufei said with amusement. Sally frowned.
"That's not what I meant, he's different…I'm hoping that he won't change on all of us again. He's like Heero used to be," she said, her blue eyes saddening. Wufei, with his eyes still on the road, instinctively reached for her chin and lifted it. He took his eyes off the road for a few moments to look at her.
"Don't worry about Quatre," he whispered and gave her a broad smile, which she returned. They rode in silence until they reached the apartment building Duo had instructed them to go to. Sally moved to open her door and turned to stick her tongue out at Wufei only to meet an empty seat and hear the door open for her.
"Damn you," she whispered into his ear as she stood and stepped unto the curb. Wufei would have grinned like a Cheshire cat at the older woman if Duo hadn't slapped him on the back.
"Chang!! Good to see you again!!" the pilot's voice chimed. Wufei's eyes rolled upwards.
"You just saw me on Friday," he said, his tone dripping with annoyance. However, a small, unseen touch on his forearm from Sally and his mood lifted. The group of two gundam pilots and two ex-Oz soldiers made their way through the thick snow and up the stairs to where the party awaited.
As Wufei entered, his black eyes didn't fail to notice how heads, particularly male heads, turned to watch Sally as she took off her coat and handed it to Dorothy, playing hostess. However, the Chinese Gundam pilot didn't feel threatened, only glad to know that this beautiful lady was walking around with him and no one else. She must have caught his expression because as soon as Trowa had left them after asking them the usual party greeting questions, she pulled him aside.
"Are you alright?" she asked, a smile tugging at her lips. Wufei smiled back, releasing the hers.
"I feel wonderful," he replied. And with that they turned to enjoy the party.
***
Dorothy smiled as the last of the guests they'd been waiting for entered. Heero had been first, of course. He was never late for anything, that one she reminded herself. Duo, Hilde, Wufei, and Sally had all entered around the same time, closely followed by Catherine. Lady Une entered with little Marameia in tow, who'd after all the chaos of the Eve Wars, had reverted from her previous following of her father's footsteps, to a normal, chipper little girl. Quatre was last to arrive, which was odd since he was usually tied with Heero when it came to attendance. However, he had tried to politely excuse his tardiness for his own party with a casual 'Got caught up at work'.
The blonde woman stopped to admire her handiwork as she turned around to face the rest of the apartment. She and Trowa had turned their bland little apartment into a mini-winter wonderland. Fake snow decorated the windowsills and the frosted glass panels that formed the interior walls of the apartment were laced with evergreen garland and white Christmas lights. Red and green trimmed every surface and their Christmas tree stood tall and proud in a corner near her bedroom.
Trowa, being the best at making hot cocoa of the two, had whipped up large mugs for each guest and for the non-believers, large glasses of eggnog. And of course, for later, there were glasses of champagne waiting and ready. (yeah, I know, by my timeline, they wouldn't be quite of age, but let's pretend by their time, the age limit's been lowered!!) That morning they had gotten up earlier than usual to conjure up a variety of table snacks for the party. Mistletoe hung from little hooks at different, but strategic, places to capture unsuspecting victims. And last, but definitely not least, under the afore mentioned tree, lay a large heap of presents, added to as the guests arrived.
"Dorothy, can I speak to you for a moment?" came the gentle tinkling of Catherine's voice. The older woman peered down at Dorothy, her near-lavender eyes questioning. Dorothy smiled, surprising the woman.
Catherine, in the very short time that she had been able to acquaint herself with Dorothy before, had been under the impression that the Catalonia girl had been a cold hearted, well, witch. However, the warm smile that she had received, coupled with the sweet, tender looks shared between the girl and her younger brother had made her question her previous assumption.
Dorothy and Catherine tore themselves from the ongoing comical discussion the group had going around the table concerning whether Deathsycthe would win if put up against Heavyarms. They moved to the couch, which Dorothy had lovingly decorated with Christmas doilies and sat down in the plush material.
"Is it true?" Catherine blurted out, her sisterly nature getting the best of her. Dorothy gave her a bemused look. "You and Trowa, is it true?"
Dorothy was about to say yes when she caught out of the corner of her eye the familiar movements of the pilot in question. Turning her head away from Catherine she looked at him fully, her gray eyes softening almost as much as her knees. However, as she looked at him, it dawned on her that Trowa was, by nature, a quiet man and what they shared may well be what he considered one of their unspoken secrets. Could she really break that trust by jumping to conclusions? Were they officially going out anyway? What WAS there status?
Turning back to Catherine, she concluded that with so many questions to answer herself, there was no way she could give a definite answer to her. Her eyes looked desperate, as if holding back the joy of her relationship with Trowa caused her pain. Her voice was soft as she answered.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
CRASH!
Dorothy whipped around to see Quatre staring at her with a confused expression. She stood quickly, throwing out any thoughts of how long he'd been standing there.
"Quatre? Are you alright?" she asked, laying a hand on his forearm. His aquamarine eyes turned away from the space he was staring at to look down at her. He smiled a small smile.
"Quite fine, Ms. Dorothy. My mug just slipped, is all," he answered, pulling away from a slightly confused Dorothy and bending to pick up the shattered pieces of his mug. Uncomfortably, she realized that the whole room had gone silent, the gradually growing brawl over Deathysycthe vs. Heavyarms suddenly quiet. Dawning on her that she was being an rude hostess, she too bent down to pick up the rest of Quatre's mug.
"I'm very sorry, Ms. Dorothy," he said, his old sweet and polite manner overruling his more recent cold ways. Dorothy shook her head, smiling.
"No harm done, cocoa won't stain the floor," she said, laughing nervously. Quatre nodded, standing and taking the pieces to the garbage. Slowly, the life returned to the rest of the party. Dorothy stood, following Quatre to the garbage bin and throwing away her own pieces of the mug. She turned to grab a towel to mop up the rest of the cocoa when she caught sight of something in Quatre's hand. He was grasping his hand with a white hanker chief, blood seeping through the material.
"Quatre! You're bleeding!" she exclaimed. Sally, not far away, hear the shout and made her way over.
"It's nothing, really," he said. Sally's delicate hands waved the air to make a space for herself and grabbed Quatre's hand to examine it for herself.
"Dorothy, do you have any antiseptics and bandages?" the doctor asked. Dorothy nodded, recalling faintly the memory of the night Trowa came home bruised and bleeding. She rushed to the bathroom but Trowa had beaten her to it. He turned with the bandages, giving her a knowing smile, which she gladly returned. However, no other romantic move was made and Dorothy felt she'd done the right thing by not telling Catherine anything about their relationship.
***
As soon as Quatre's hand was fixed up, Dorothy served dinner and dessert, which was quickly devoured in anticipation for presents. Trowa stood back, scraping his plate with his left over turkey. He snorted at how so many of the gundam pilots turned their noses up at vegetables, himself included. They may have been god-like at 15 but give the 3 of them a decade or two and they'd have beer guts to rival anyone's. However, Duo had already found the slow road to veggies, thanks to Hilde, and Quatre had always been a bit of a loose vegetarian.
His emerald eyes scanned the room, passing over his four brothers as he had grown to consider them. He laughed at the thought, if they were all brothers, then he was an uncle to Duo's kid. Hopefully, uncle hood didn't entail babysitting duty.
The festive air that had hung suspended around just a few of the guests had now descended upon everyone. Marameia had become the sweetheart of the party, her Christmas party dress twirling around her as she was spun by various gundam pilots dancing with her. Even Heero went for a spin, which was a pit of a funny scene, seeing as he was the shortest of the five. All he had to do was bend slightly to take her hands to dance. Trowa set his plate down as Marameia beckoned him over.
"Dance with me Uncle Trowa!" she exclaimed, reaching up to grab his hands. Trowa's eyes widened and his eyes found Dorothy's, who looked just as surprised. Une giggled behind a raised hand.
"She thinks you and Dorothy are together," she said quietly through her laughter. The third gundam pilot could see a faint blush on his roommate's cheeks and expected her to look at him however, her gaze went to Catherine, who was trying hard to talk to Quatre.
"Please Uncle Trowa!" came Marameia's voice. Trowa looked down and smiled at her sweet expression of eagerness. Her time with Une had made a complete reversal in returning the girl's innocence. She'd once talked of things girls her age should never have known about and that scared the gundam pilots more than any enemy before.
"Of course," he said. However, he realized how awkward the situation would be, considering his height. So he got to his knees before her and took her extended hand. "That better?" he asked, his eyes twinkling. Marameia nodded and began to lead ferociously as Jingle Bells came on.
Over the mess of the child's brown hair he could see Dorothy's eyes soften as she watched the two dance. It was one of those moments in which he knew what she was thinking. And he was thinking the exact same thing. 'Wouldn't it be nice to make Duo an uncle?' he thought as he smiled back at Marameia.
Trowa's eyes unfocused slightly as he began to again think of Dorothy. Although his experience with girlfriend/boyfriend relationships was nonexistent at best, he did know that what they had was more than the usual friend's with benefits. Although he didn't feel he'd ever have to utter the words, but he could admit to himself that Dorothy was his. He himself didn't know enough about love to say that theirs was true but if it wasn't, then what was it?
Quatre stared past Catherine's lovely violet eyes to set his proverbial cross hairs on Dorothy. His "spies" had done well. Quatre knew the layout of this apartment like the back of his hand now and his betrothed routine. It was an odd feeling watching the woman that was going to be his wife watch another man with such love and affection in her eyes. It stirred a feeling not quite jealousy but more…annoyance. He turned to Catherine, his aqua trying to mask his tired eyes with a smile.
"Excuse me Cathy," he said. Catherine nodded energetically, reveling in the feel of her crush using her nickname. Quatre reached past her slender waist and set his glass of champagne on the side table behind her before brushing past her and making his way towards Dorothy. He looked down to see Trowa and Marameia still dancing away to various Christmas carols.
"Dorothy?" he asked in a whisper, laying a now calloused hand on her small shoulder. She looked up at him, her gray eyes searching dutifully as her position as hostess. "May I speak with you?"
"Of course," she said, leading away from the group that had gathered to watch from the dancing with Marameia. Quatre however, took a steel grip on her arm just above her elbow and steered her out of the apartment, softly closing the door behind them. "Quatre?" she asked, "is everything alright? Is your hand bothering you again?"
Quatre paused and cocked his head to look at her in the yellow light of the hallway. She had changed since the Eve Wars. Not just in appearance either, although that did strike him a bit. She was still athletic but, maybe it was her personality or her actually body, she had softened somewhere, somehow.
"No, my hand is fine…Dorothy," he said, forming the sounds of her name carefully, as if he'd never said it before. His tone sent tremors up Dorothy's spine and caused her to stand up straighter to meet his steady gaze. His khakis rustled lightly as he stepped forward, closing the delicate space between them.
"Why-what did you want to talk about Quatre?" she asked, her hands clutching at the bottom of her Christmas sweater.
"Did I say I wanted to talk?" he asked in husky whisper. The air that separated them rushed out around them as he rushed her. He grabbed her hand and forced it to his abdomen. "Can you feel that?" he asked, his voice harsh. His eyes were ice.
"Feel wh-" she began but Quatre cut her off as he violently pulled her away from the wall with his free hand and slammed her back into it. He let go of her hand quickly, leaving a stunned Dorothy watching as he pulled off his own shirt. Her eyes, searching the spot he's forced her to feel found what she was looking for.
A small but wide jagged scar was the only imperfection that she could see on his alabaster skin. And she despised imperfection. That thought was the last real logical one she had that night as Quatre grabbed her hand again and laid it on the scar.
"You did that to me, Dorothy," he said, his face only inches from hers. Had there not been a night where she didn't torment herself with this moment. He was finally seeking the revenge he deserved from her. However, his fingers became gentle and he began to stroke the lengths of her fingers. He picked up her hand delicately and laid it across his heart.
"And now you're doing this to me," he said. No matter how cliché she would think it later on, it was touching in that little moment. However, the thought of Trowa was lodged firmly in her mind and she pulled her hand away.
"Quatre, I know I've never really apologized for that and I guess now isn't really the ti-" but she was again cut off as Quatre closed the distance between them with a forceful kiss.
Ok, again, sorry that this took so long. Hope you like :D!! There is a hint in here of the New Faction; can any of catch the specific one?
Love ya'll for reading, adore ya'll for reviewing!!! MadameHotaru.of.87
Chapter Nine: The Party Begins
Disclaimer: I do not own the cast of Gundam Wing nor the show itself. I do own this nifty little pocketknife though and will attack any and all who steal this fic!!! MWHAHAHAHA! Heh, never mind.
I'm kicking off this chapter with a few tender moments between Duo and Hilde, Heero and Relena, and Wufei and Sally. I needed a little change of pace! Each moment for each couple is loosely based on a different popular song, although I won't mention which. Although I must note that Wufei and Sally's little moment will be a long one because their song includes going to a party (there's your little hint).
Hilde brushed aside a tendril of her blue-black hair and analyzed her reflection. A large bulge in her tummy had replaced her once slim figure. But she caressed that bulge lovingly. 'If only I held the same love for the flab under my arms,' she thought wryly. However, she smiled anyway and clipped her bangs to one side with a red and green clip.
"There, as good as it's gonna get," she declared, her arms akimbo. Through her arms slipped two more, clad in black. They clutched her belly and began tickling it mercilessly.
"I'm the tickle monster, come to claim my two girls! Mwhahaha!!" came Duo Maxwell's voice. Hilde rolled her eyes and tugged playfully at one of her boyfriend's fingers.
"You're such a dork sometimes Duo," she cried, laughing. Duo's head appeared behind her in the mirror as his arms tightened around her middle. Hilde leaned back against his chest, her hand moving up to play with his long hair. His smile never faltered, despite her teasing. "You really ought to braid you hair soon, I don't like it when you braid it in the car on the way to someplace while driving with just your knees," she said, caressing his long, brown locks. Duo's grin widened.
"I'll have you know I haven't braided my hair in the car for over 5 months," he declared. "Not since…" he fell silent, searching her eyes in the mirror. But Hilde just smiled and snuggled into his neck.
"Since I told you I was pregnant," she whispered. Duo nodded, his smile fading. He'd changed a lot since he'd found out that he was going to be a father. Before the news, his doctor had told him that his heart, although healthy now, would soon feel the grief of eating so unhealthily. And he'd ignored it. But when he found out that he was going to be a daddy, a lot of risky behaviors were cut short.
Duo had refrained from taking too many active jobs at work, settling for more desk jobs. The occasional salad replaced his usual grease burger and fries. And he was a careful driver, no longer pushing the speed limit and turning corners like a madman.
"And what did you mean? Two girls my ass!" Hilde said, interrupting his thoughts. "I already know that this is mama's boy right here," she said, looking down at her tummy. Duo snorted.
"Feh, no way, that's daddy's little princess sleeping in there," his hands splayed across the surface of his girlfriend's abdomen. A small tremor met his hands. "Well, maybe not sleeping!" he corrected himself. Hilde laughed as Duo squatted down to place an ear to her belly.
"See, she's got her mother's fighting spirit," Duo joked. Hilde glared and placed one hand over Duo's and the other on his cheek. His eyes softened and his smile became tender as he gazed back up at her.
"You're wrong you know, he's got his father's Shinigami wild side running in him," she countered. Duo looked down and away, pulling himself from her stomach but keeping his hands protectively at her sides.
"Don't say that, Hilde," he said, standing and enveloping her in his arms. "Boy or girl, I don't care, but our baby's not going to have an ounce of Shinigami in it. I'm gonna make sure of that," he whispered into her short hair, lightly kissing her neck. "Not an ounce."
***
Heero sighed, picking himself up from his armchair. He felt weary, tired…old. His apartment seemed so empty. His Prussian blue eyes closed and a certain honey blonde haired woman entered his thoughts. Her face had always fascinated him. He forgot when it was that he noticed just how pretty her face was. Maybe it was that moment when he came so close to kissing her…he smiled. He forgot where they were when he asked her to trust him. All he honestly remembered was how much he just wanted to skip going to battle and pull her into his cockpit and fly away with her to anywhere. He'd only been 15 but the want to have her at his side at all times was as overpowering then as it was now. He'd even fought his fellow pilot to keep transportation open so he could see her.
However, as hard as it was being away from her, as hard as it was putting up with each day as a Preventer, his love held strong. Each time they could meet secretly was a cherished moment. And that was what kept it so hard on both of them, their secret; was there really a place for a relationship between a pacifist politician and a ex-gundam pilot? He could only hope to whatever deity that watched over him that there was.
Each dream that he had about her was an escape from his cruel reality. This apartment had seen many sessions of their displays of affection and the impression that she left on everyone and everything was almost palpable as he moved from his living room to his bedroom to change for the party.
He'd taken off his shirt and was picking out a suitable one for the occasion when his vid-phone rang. He checked the I.D. and saw the familiar number of the exact woman he'd been thinking of. Frantically, he pushed the button and almost grinned to see her glowing face light his apartment.
"Hello Heero," she said, beaming at him. Heero was never the type to showcase what he was feeling, but she could always read his eyes and tell what he was feeling. Her grin widened when she read the happiness in his eyes to see her.
"Afternoon Relena," he said, his voice hoarse. He pulled the vid-phone off the stand and sat on the arm of his chair. Relena giggled, catching sight of her lover's bare chest.
"I hope you're not going to Quatre's party in just that?" she said through her laughter. Heero allowed himself a small smile. Taking on a more festive air in the presence of his love, he looked down at himself in a joking manner.
"What this? I thought it very proper," he said monotonously, making her laugh even more. He let himself chuckle along with her.
"Well, I'm sure the rest of the girls wouldn't mind," she said, giving him a wink. Heero sighed happily. This is what he waited for everyday. His moment alone with just Relena. Moments with just them were what kept him going. It was kept him alive when he was alone without her.
"Gimme a break," he said, his shell cracking with each smile she pulled out on him. "Hilde's pregnant with Duo's kid, I hardly think she's interested in anything but food." He paused to laugh at Relena's stern expression but continued before she could scold him. "And Sally's seen me in worse condition, being a doctor and all."
"Should I watch out for her?" Relena asked, winking. Heero rolled his eyes.
"I doubt it, Wufei'd kill me anyway," he joked back, giving her a wink of his own.
"What about Dorothy?" Relena questioned, still smiling. Heero paused, before laughing again. "What? Heero?! What are you laughing at?! It's not fair, you know all that's going on with everyone while I'm stuck here," she said, sticking her tongue out at him. Heero stopped, his eyes staring into the screen into hers.
"Dorothy and Trowa are becoming an item," he informed her. Relena's eyes widened and she gasped happily.
"Really?! Oh, I wish I could be there!" Heero tuned out the rest of Relena's talk of how she knew Dorothy was going to ask Trowa to be roommates. He was wishing that her wish would come true. "Oh, damn them!" he heard Relena exclaim. He looked up to see her glaring at something off screen.
"What's wrong?" he asked. She suddenly looked tired, that look she'd acquire when someone put something else on her thin shoulders. As much as it hurt to see her suffer under such burdens, he knew she'd never let him help her carry them and it wasn't his place to offer in the first place. He was a Preventer and she was a politician.
"I have a meeting that I forgot about, I'm sorry-"
"Don't apologize," he told her, for what seemed the thousandth time. Heero knew that she was busy and although every once in awhile he'd be selfish and wish for more of her time, he knew that she had to work overtime just to give him the time that he got now. And yet she always apologized when she couldn't give him more.
"Right, sorry-er…" she laughed and looked down. Heero wished he could reach through the screen and touch her, lift her chin and kiss her. "I'd better get going, it's an hour drive." Heero nodded, tearing himself away from the screen.
"Hope you have fun at the party," she said, smiling. Heero returned the smile.
"Have fun at your meeting," he returned. Relena rolled her eyes before becoming a little more serious.
"Aishiteru, Heero," she whispered, her eyes reaching to him through the thousands of miles between them.
"Aishiteru, Relena."
"And Merry Christmas!" she finished with a smile. And then she cut the connection. He knew it was because she'd probably start crying if she didn't. And then he was alone, without her again.
***
Wufei was propped up against the headboard of his bed, reading a book. As his black eyes trailed the lines of meaningless words of the page he was on, he could hear the sound of Sally brushing her hair. She'd been rushing from room to room, looking for clothing selections and makeup. He set the book down in his lap and took off his glasses. He smiled as he heard her put the brush down and begin to dress. She was always so concerned with looking good but also the impression that she hadn't tried too hard. He chuckled quietly at the thought of her odd habits. He gathered his hair into a tight knot behind his head and considered it done.
"How do I look?" Sally asked, doing a full spin as Wufei looked up at her. She was standing in the doorway, her blonde hair pulled out of its casual pigtails and set free to cascade down and around her shoulders. Her lips, always a lovely red, had been painted a deeper shade and her blue eyes were complimented with blue powder atop her lids. A long green dress flowed down to her ankles and followed her curves wonderfully.
"You look wonderful," he answered, standing up. He pulled her coat from their desk chair and held it up for her, smiling back at her.
"Thank you," she said, curling into the warmth of the coat he'd bought her after their first year as Preventers. Wufei pulled on his own coat and placed a protective hand at the small of her back as he led her out of the bedroom and out of the small house they'd purchased together two months ago. As was his custom, Wufei grabbed the door before Sally and opened it for her. She groaned but with a smile in her eyes.
"You're too much, Wufei," she told him as he pulled himself into the vehicle. He rolled his eyes as he started the engine. Giving her the small smile that he reserved only for her, he drove them off to Trowa and Dorothy's apartment.
"Hard to believe Quatre's leaving," Sally said, entering and dispersing gently their comfortable silence. Wufei nodded in response. "I hope he'll be alright," Sally continued in a whisper.
"He is a gundam pilot, I think he'll handle Earth fine," Wufei said with amusement. Sally frowned.
"That's not what I meant, he's different…I'm hoping that he won't change on all of us again. He's like Heero used to be," she said, her blue eyes saddening. Wufei, with his eyes still on the road, instinctively reached for her chin and lifted it. He took his eyes off the road for a few moments to look at her.
"Don't worry about Quatre," he whispered and gave her a broad smile, which she returned. They rode in silence until they reached the apartment building Duo had instructed them to go to. Sally moved to open her door and turned to stick her tongue out at Wufei only to meet an empty seat and hear the door open for her.
"Damn you," she whispered into his ear as she stood and stepped unto the curb. Wufei would have grinned like a Cheshire cat at the older woman if Duo hadn't slapped him on the back.
"Chang!! Good to see you again!!" the pilot's voice chimed. Wufei's eyes rolled upwards.
"You just saw me on Friday," he said, his tone dripping with annoyance. However, a small, unseen touch on his forearm from Sally and his mood lifted. The group of two gundam pilots and two ex-Oz soldiers made their way through the thick snow and up the stairs to where the party awaited.
As Wufei entered, his black eyes didn't fail to notice how heads, particularly male heads, turned to watch Sally as she took off her coat and handed it to Dorothy, playing hostess. However, the Chinese Gundam pilot didn't feel threatened, only glad to know that this beautiful lady was walking around with him and no one else. She must have caught his expression because as soon as Trowa had left them after asking them the usual party greeting questions, she pulled him aside.
"Are you alright?" she asked, a smile tugging at her lips. Wufei smiled back, releasing the hers.
"I feel wonderful," he replied. And with that they turned to enjoy the party.
***
Dorothy smiled as the last of the guests they'd been waiting for entered. Heero had been first, of course. He was never late for anything, that one she reminded herself. Duo, Hilde, Wufei, and Sally had all entered around the same time, closely followed by Catherine. Lady Une entered with little Marameia in tow, who'd after all the chaos of the Eve Wars, had reverted from her previous following of her father's footsteps, to a normal, chipper little girl. Quatre was last to arrive, which was odd since he was usually tied with Heero when it came to attendance. However, he had tried to politely excuse his tardiness for his own party with a casual 'Got caught up at work'.
The blonde woman stopped to admire her handiwork as she turned around to face the rest of the apartment. She and Trowa had turned their bland little apartment into a mini-winter wonderland. Fake snow decorated the windowsills and the frosted glass panels that formed the interior walls of the apartment were laced with evergreen garland and white Christmas lights. Red and green trimmed every surface and their Christmas tree stood tall and proud in a corner near her bedroom.
Trowa, being the best at making hot cocoa of the two, had whipped up large mugs for each guest and for the non-believers, large glasses of eggnog. And of course, for later, there were glasses of champagne waiting and ready. (yeah, I know, by my timeline, they wouldn't be quite of age, but let's pretend by their time, the age limit's been lowered!!) That morning they had gotten up earlier than usual to conjure up a variety of table snacks for the party. Mistletoe hung from little hooks at different, but strategic, places to capture unsuspecting victims. And last, but definitely not least, under the afore mentioned tree, lay a large heap of presents, added to as the guests arrived.
"Dorothy, can I speak to you for a moment?" came the gentle tinkling of Catherine's voice. The older woman peered down at Dorothy, her near-lavender eyes questioning. Dorothy smiled, surprising the woman.
Catherine, in the very short time that she had been able to acquaint herself with Dorothy before, had been under the impression that the Catalonia girl had been a cold hearted, well, witch. However, the warm smile that she had received, coupled with the sweet, tender looks shared between the girl and her younger brother had made her question her previous assumption.
Dorothy and Catherine tore themselves from the ongoing comical discussion the group had going around the table concerning whether Deathsycthe would win if put up against Heavyarms. They moved to the couch, which Dorothy had lovingly decorated with Christmas doilies and sat down in the plush material.
"Is it true?" Catherine blurted out, her sisterly nature getting the best of her. Dorothy gave her a bemused look. "You and Trowa, is it true?"
Dorothy was about to say yes when she caught out of the corner of her eye the familiar movements of the pilot in question. Turning her head away from Catherine she looked at him fully, her gray eyes softening almost as much as her knees. However, as she looked at him, it dawned on her that Trowa was, by nature, a quiet man and what they shared may well be what he considered one of their unspoken secrets. Could she really break that trust by jumping to conclusions? Were they officially going out anyway? What WAS there status?
Turning back to Catherine, she concluded that with so many questions to answer herself, there was no way she could give a definite answer to her. Her eyes looked desperate, as if holding back the joy of her relationship with Trowa caused her pain. Her voice was soft as she answered.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
CRASH!
Dorothy whipped around to see Quatre staring at her with a confused expression. She stood quickly, throwing out any thoughts of how long he'd been standing there.
"Quatre? Are you alright?" she asked, laying a hand on his forearm. His aquamarine eyes turned away from the space he was staring at to look down at her. He smiled a small smile.
"Quite fine, Ms. Dorothy. My mug just slipped, is all," he answered, pulling away from a slightly confused Dorothy and bending to pick up the shattered pieces of his mug. Uncomfortably, she realized that the whole room had gone silent, the gradually growing brawl over Deathysycthe vs. Heavyarms suddenly quiet. Dawning on her that she was being an rude hostess, she too bent down to pick up the rest of Quatre's mug.
"I'm very sorry, Ms. Dorothy," he said, his old sweet and polite manner overruling his more recent cold ways. Dorothy shook her head, smiling.
"No harm done, cocoa won't stain the floor," she said, laughing nervously. Quatre nodded, standing and taking the pieces to the garbage. Slowly, the life returned to the rest of the party. Dorothy stood, following Quatre to the garbage bin and throwing away her own pieces of the mug. She turned to grab a towel to mop up the rest of the cocoa when she caught sight of something in Quatre's hand. He was grasping his hand with a white hanker chief, blood seeping through the material.
"Quatre! You're bleeding!" she exclaimed. Sally, not far away, hear the shout and made her way over.
"It's nothing, really," he said. Sally's delicate hands waved the air to make a space for herself and grabbed Quatre's hand to examine it for herself.
"Dorothy, do you have any antiseptics and bandages?" the doctor asked. Dorothy nodded, recalling faintly the memory of the night Trowa came home bruised and bleeding. She rushed to the bathroom but Trowa had beaten her to it. He turned with the bandages, giving her a knowing smile, which she gladly returned. However, no other romantic move was made and Dorothy felt she'd done the right thing by not telling Catherine anything about their relationship.
***
As soon as Quatre's hand was fixed up, Dorothy served dinner and dessert, which was quickly devoured in anticipation for presents. Trowa stood back, scraping his plate with his left over turkey. He snorted at how so many of the gundam pilots turned their noses up at vegetables, himself included. They may have been god-like at 15 but give the 3 of them a decade or two and they'd have beer guts to rival anyone's. However, Duo had already found the slow road to veggies, thanks to Hilde, and Quatre had always been a bit of a loose vegetarian.
His emerald eyes scanned the room, passing over his four brothers as he had grown to consider them. He laughed at the thought, if they were all brothers, then he was an uncle to Duo's kid. Hopefully, uncle hood didn't entail babysitting duty.
The festive air that had hung suspended around just a few of the guests had now descended upon everyone. Marameia had become the sweetheart of the party, her Christmas party dress twirling around her as she was spun by various gundam pilots dancing with her. Even Heero went for a spin, which was a pit of a funny scene, seeing as he was the shortest of the five. All he had to do was bend slightly to take her hands to dance. Trowa set his plate down as Marameia beckoned him over.
"Dance with me Uncle Trowa!" she exclaimed, reaching up to grab his hands. Trowa's eyes widened and his eyes found Dorothy's, who looked just as surprised. Une giggled behind a raised hand.
"She thinks you and Dorothy are together," she said quietly through her laughter. The third gundam pilot could see a faint blush on his roommate's cheeks and expected her to look at him however, her gaze went to Catherine, who was trying hard to talk to Quatre.
"Please Uncle Trowa!" came Marameia's voice. Trowa looked down and smiled at her sweet expression of eagerness. Her time with Une had made a complete reversal in returning the girl's innocence. She'd once talked of things girls her age should never have known about and that scared the gundam pilots more than any enemy before.
"Of course," he said. However, he realized how awkward the situation would be, considering his height. So he got to his knees before her and took her extended hand. "That better?" he asked, his eyes twinkling. Marameia nodded and began to lead ferociously as Jingle Bells came on.
Over the mess of the child's brown hair he could see Dorothy's eyes soften as she watched the two dance. It was one of those moments in which he knew what she was thinking. And he was thinking the exact same thing. 'Wouldn't it be nice to make Duo an uncle?' he thought as he smiled back at Marameia.
Trowa's eyes unfocused slightly as he began to again think of Dorothy. Although his experience with girlfriend/boyfriend relationships was nonexistent at best, he did know that what they had was more than the usual friend's with benefits. Although he didn't feel he'd ever have to utter the words, but he could admit to himself that Dorothy was his. He himself didn't know enough about love to say that theirs was true but if it wasn't, then what was it?
Quatre stared past Catherine's lovely violet eyes to set his proverbial cross hairs on Dorothy. His "spies" had done well. Quatre knew the layout of this apartment like the back of his hand now and his betrothed routine. It was an odd feeling watching the woman that was going to be his wife watch another man with such love and affection in her eyes. It stirred a feeling not quite jealousy but more…annoyance. He turned to Catherine, his aqua trying to mask his tired eyes with a smile.
"Excuse me Cathy," he said. Catherine nodded energetically, reveling in the feel of her crush using her nickname. Quatre reached past her slender waist and set his glass of champagne on the side table behind her before brushing past her and making his way towards Dorothy. He looked down to see Trowa and Marameia still dancing away to various Christmas carols.
"Dorothy?" he asked in a whisper, laying a now calloused hand on her small shoulder. She looked up at him, her gray eyes searching dutifully as her position as hostess. "May I speak with you?"
"Of course," she said, leading away from the group that had gathered to watch from the dancing with Marameia. Quatre however, took a steel grip on her arm just above her elbow and steered her out of the apartment, softly closing the door behind them. "Quatre?" she asked, "is everything alright? Is your hand bothering you again?"
Quatre paused and cocked his head to look at her in the yellow light of the hallway. She had changed since the Eve Wars. Not just in appearance either, although that did strike him a bit. She was still athletic but, maybe it was her personality or her actually body, she had softened somewhere, somehow.
"No, my hand is fine…Dorothy," he said, forming the sounds of her name carefully, as if he'd never said it before. His tone sent tremors up Dorothy's spine and caused her to stand up straighter to meet his steady gaze. His khakis rustled lightly as he stepped forward, closing the delicate space between them.
"Why-what did you want to talk about Quatre?" she asked, her hands clutching at the bottom of her Christmas sweater.
"Did I say I wanted to talk?" he asked in husky whisper. The air that separated them rushed out around them as he rushed her. He grabbed her hand and forced it to his abdomen. "Can you feel that?" he asked, his voice harsh. His eyes were ice.
"Feel wh-" she began but Quatre cut her off as he violently pulled her away from the wall with his free hand and slammed her back into it. He let go of her hand quickly, leaving a stunned Dorothy watching as he pulled off his own shirt. Her eyes, searching the spot he's forced her to feel found what she was looking for.
A small but wide jagged scar was the only imperfection that she could see on his alabaster skin. And she despised imperfection. That thought was the last real logical one she had that night as Quatre grabbed her hand again and laid it on the scar.
"You did that to me, Dorothy," he said, his face only inches from hers. Had there not been a night where she didn't torment herself with this moment. He was finally seeking the revenge he deserved from her. However, his fingers became gentle and he began to stroke the lengths of her fingers. He picked up her hand delicately and laid it across his heart.
"And now you're doing this to me," he said. No matter how cliché she would think it later on, it was touching in that little moment. However, the thought of Trowa was lodged firmly in her mind and she pulled her hand away.
"Quatre, I know I've never really apologized for that and I guess now isn't really the ti-" but she was again cut off as Quatre closed the distance between them with a forceful kiss.
Ok, again, sorry that this took so long. Hope you like :D!! There is a hint in here of the New Faction; can any of catch the specific one?
Love ya'll for reading, adore ya'll for reviewing!!! MadameHotaru.of.87