By Kiyoko
April 26, 2001
"What took you so long? I've been waiting for over an hour!"
"I'm sorry Alex, I got stopped by Relena. She saw me coming down the stairs, there was nothing I could do."
"I don't know why I even put up with you Yuy."
"You put up with me because you need my help designing the Dark Pheonix."
"Well we'd better get to work, we have a lot ahead of us."
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"C'mon Trowa, this is a chance of a life time! Peace has become a reality. This will show the people that the world is finally starting to put itself back together."
"Duo is right, besides you are really good. The Sanc Kingdom Royals need a forward."
"I don't know if playing professional soccer is where I want my life to be heading. What about Catherine?"
"Teams travel Trowa, you can always visit her no matter where she is. Besides you will be able to fly her here anytime you want to." Duo was becoming angry, how could he pass up a chance like this?
"Let me think about it. I want to talk to Catharine before making any decisions. What about the Preventers?"
"You can still be a part time agent. Sports have an off season. And if some major disaster hits, I don't think the Earth Sphere Soccer League would still hold games."
"I suppose you're right Quatre."
"Good you have one week to make your decision."
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"How's the body design coming out Heero?"
"Well the front is a little heavy, I need something to balance it out."
"How about adding wings? It would give the mecha more agility."
"Perfect. This is kinda embarrassing, but can I ask you for a favor?"
"The perfect soldier embarrassed? This is a first!"
"Cut the crap, I need a date for the ball on Saturday. Trowa has agreed to join the team."
"Why don't you ask Relena?"
"I can't. She's already going with Trowa." Heero's face twitched.
"Jealous?"
"Dammit! I knew I shouldn't have asked you!"
"Relax Heero, I'll go with you. Anyway this should be fun; I've been waiting to meet your friends for a while. What are you going to tell them when you introduce me?"
"I don't know. Something simple."
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Alex and Heero walked down the marble staircase heading down into the ballroom.
"Hey there's Relena, why don't you ask her to dance."
"I can't."
"Why not. You like her don't you?"
"You don't understand."
"What don't I understand? You have feelings just like every other
human being; however, you just don't show it."
"That's why, it would throw off my soldier persona."
"So I guess this will just be one mission that will be left unaccomplished."
"That was a cheap shot. Mission accepted." Heero and Alex made their way through the mass of people to come face to face with Relena and Heero.
"Heero, it's nice to see you this evening and who may I ask is your lovely date?"
"This is Alexandra Moonblade, Alexandra I would like to introduce Miss Relena Peacecraft and Mr. Trowa Barton." Trowa could feel Relena tense up from Alex's presence.
"Alexandra, may I have the pleasure of this next dance?"
"Why I would love to Mr. Barton."
"Please call me Trowa." Alex gave Heero a slight squeeze before heading off to the dance floor with Trowa.
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"So Heero, you've been really busy lately. You haven't been around much."
"You should talk Ms Vice Foreign Minister. I mean putting together a world soccer league is a lot of work."
"Hopefully it will help the people get their mind off the past wars. I am so delighted that Trowa agreed to sign. Not only will he receive fame from piloting a Gundam, but he will become famous as a world soccer player. Will you be attending the opening for the new museum next month?"
"Of course Relena, you worked so hard putting it together, I wouldn't miss it."
"Thank you Heero, that means a lot to me."
"Would you like to dance?"
"I would love to." Relena laced a gloved hand through Heero's arm and allowed him to lead her to the polished dance floor.
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Trowa placed his hands on Alex's hips gently, while she intertwined her's around his neck.
"That was a nice move Trowa."
"Hm?"
"Don't play innocent with me, I know you asked me to dance to give Heero and Relena a chance to talk."
"That wasn't the only reason."
"Enlighten me."
"Well I was wondering how a person such as yourself ended up with a person like Heero."
"The object of his affection was already taken, but I see we have already remedied the problem."
"That's not what I meant. How did you meet Heero?"
"Oh, well I met him during the war. Let's just say we kept each other sane during that time. We also did many favors for one another." Alex spun Trowa around to look at the sight before them.
"Well, it looks like our efforts have paid off. Where is a camera when you need one?"
"It just so happens I have one in my coat pocket, here take it while we still have a chance." Alex lifted the camera to her eye and centered the shot. A quick flash erupted from the camera unbeknownst to Heero and Relena.
"That one will be worth a lot. I bet Duo would pay big to have a copy."
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The rest of the night went by fairly quickly much to the dismay of many of the couples. Heero and Relena had disappeared early in the evening, while Trowa and Alex enjoyed the last dance.
"Well, since your date has seemed to vanished would you like me to escort you home?"
"That would be wonderful." Alex and Trowa headed to front and slipped into his black limo. The car sped along the coast of the Sanc Kingdom to the short distance to Alex's apartment. Trowa helped Alex out of the limo and walked her to the door.
"I've had a lovely evening Trowa."
"I am glad that I got a chance to talk to you. You look absolutely stunning."
"You don't look so bad yourself." She gave Trowa a genuine smile that spread across her face. He lifted a hand to her face and tilted her face toward his. Trowa's lips brushed over hers for a slight instant before she pulled away.
"Trowa, you don't want to get involved with a person like me."
"Why not? You are intelligent, funny, kind…"
"There is just so much you don't know about me…"
"I could get to know more about you. Would you at least consider a date?"
"If you weren't so charming I'd have to say no."
"Then that's a yes?"
"I believe that is."
"Ok, tomorrow night, dinner. I'll pick you up at seven. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Trowa."
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Alex woke up the next morning with a huge grin on her face. 'Man he's cute!' She pulled herself out of bed to shower and dress. She had to meet Heero to work on the phoenix at 8 that morning.
"So Heero, where did you and Relena run off to last night?"
"That was a nice stunt Trowa pulled last night. We went to the garden to talk. By the time I got back you had already left with Trowa."
"Yeah, I figured you wouldn't be back anytime soon, if at all."
"So how did you get home."
"Trowa took me. We have a date tonight!"
"Are you serious?"
"Of course I am."
"We have to work on the dark phoenix. We have a deadline we have to meet."
"I know, but I don't see why we have to design another Gundam."
"You know very well that there still are underground organizations plotting the downfall of the ESUN."
"If any of those organizations got their hands on any of our plans we would be fucked."
"Soon those organizations will match the technology of the Gundams, it's only a matter of time. That's why we must work to upgrade the others also."
"I don't know, it just doesn't feel right to make them. Why me?"
"Because we are the only people with the mechanical skill and
intelligence to create them."
"I know, being genetically altered sux."
"Hey, at least you got more emotion than I did."
"That's not funny Heero! You know it's not true."
"I suppose."
"Don't worry, I'm sure Relena stirs up all kind of emotion in you, as well as other things…"
"I can't believe you just said that."
"C'mon Heero I know it's true."
"I don't want to talk about this with you."
"What? It's a natural male reaction to a girl."
"I SAID I DIDN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!"
"Whatever, I bet you dream up a bunch of naughty things about Relena." Heero became a little pink in the cheeks and fled the room.
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Alex only had 20 minutes to get ready after arriving home from work. She hurried into the bathroom to wash her face and apply her make-up. She brushed her chocolate brown hair into a neat bun on top of her head and applied two chopsticks to secure it. Next she bolted into her closet and pulled on a sky blue, knee length skirt, a light blue tank top and a white sweater over it. Just as she was putting on her casual heels the door rang. ' Just in time.' She thought as she glided through the hall to the door. Alex grasped the bronze doorknob and took a deep breath.
"Wow."
"I'll take that as a compliment." Trowa regained his composure and offered his arm to Alex, which she gratefully accepted.
"So, what were you planning for tonight?"
"I thought that we would start off with dinner and move on from there."
"Sounds great."
Trowa's car pulled up to an Italian restaurant on the corner of a shopping strip on the coast of the Sanc Kingdom.
"Hello, how may I help you?"
"Yes I have a dinner reservation for two under Barton."
"Yes of course Mr. Barton, please follow me this way. We have a special table for you." The couple followed the host to a table near the window with a view of the ocean.
"Here you are, I hope you enjoy your meal." Trowa helped Alex into her seat then sat himself.
"This is really nice."
"I thought you might like it." Trowa gave her a smile and she blushed a light shade of pink.
"So I heard you are going to be a huge soccer star."
"I'm not famous yet."
"Well not for soccer anyway, you must get a lot of publicity from being a Gundam Pilot. Wait I know for a fact that you do because I've seen many articles in the papers and magazines."
"Not by my choice."
"Quite modest aren't we. Just don't let fame get to your head, I like you the way you are."
"Thank you."
"If I may ask, what type of salary are we looking at here?"
"No, not at all. 20.5 million." (Remember people this is the future, 20.5 million wouldn't be worth the same as it is today. But it's still a lot of money.)
"Not bad, if I may say so. When do your games start?"
"Well the season begins in about a week. Until then we have practice almost everyday."
"If you don't mind, I'd love to come watch you. Maybe I could get Heero to come out of his cave for a while and come too."
"I will reserve front row seats for you, besides I'm sure Relena has
many seats already reserved. Here comes the waiter, are you ready to order?" The rest of the evening went off without a hitch. Trowa hadn't smiled this much since he could remember.
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"Hey Heero, what are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing."
"Hilde wanted to talk to Relena about something. I thought I would tag along. What are you doing here?"
"I came to see Relena."
"This would be a social call I presume."
"You are correct in your assumptions. So I heard you proposed to Hilde. When's the wedding?"
"Man, news sure travels fast. We're getting married next month. Actually I'd like to talk to you about that."
"Do you think it could wait?"
"Yeah, sure buddy. Just give me a call sometime this week." Soon Hilde and Relena came down the elegant stairway softly giggling.
"Oh Heero what are you doing here?" Hilde took one look at Heero and knew it was time to go.
"C'mon Duo, we'd better get going if we want to catch that movie."
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Hilde grabbed Duo's arm and
dragged him out of the palace.
"I wanted to talk to you." Relena's sweet smile turned into a frown.
"Why? What's wrong Heero?"
"Nothing is wrong, this is purely a social call."
"Oh, ok then, what did you want to talk about?"
"Let's go outside where it is much nicer." Relena's smiled returned to her fair face and she followed Heero down the hall to the French doors that led out to the garden. Together the entered the huge maze at the end of the garden. This was Relena's favorite place in the whole garden. It gave her a chance to unwind.
"I had a really great time the other night Heero."
"Me too. I thought that we could talk more like we did that night." Relena lifted her head to meet his eyes. She could get lost in their blue depths. He brushed a stray hair out of her face then moved his hand down to grasp hers. Relena felt a shiver go down her back at the sudden contact. For the rest of the day they wandered around the maze walking and talking together.
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"So how was your date with Trowa last night?"
"I think that I really like him, but… "
"But what?"
"How would he feel if he found out… you know."
"He's a Gundam pilot, he will understand."
"I… I just can't tell him."
"Then don't. If you told him it could ruin our mission."
"Yeah, I guess so. Trowa's first game is next week. You have to come with me."
"We need to work on the Phoenix."
"Oh don't give me that. I know you were with Relena yesterday.
That's why you left early."
"I guess I should never underestimate you."
"Probably not."
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Alex's vidphone rang and Trowa's face appeared as she answered it.
"Hi Trowa."
"Are you coming to the game tonight."
"Of course I am! I wouldn't miss it for anything."
"Great, why don't you and Heero stop by Relena's at 6:00. You can get a ride with her."
"The stadium is only a few blocks from the Palace, I'm sure we can manage."
"Well she has your tickets, plus she can give you special press passes."
"How could I refuse an offer like that? I'm sure Heero wants to see Relena anyway. They have been seeing a lot of each other lately."
"It's about time."
"Anyway, I have to get ready so I'll hopefully see you later."
"Bye." Alex cut the transmission and hurried off to get ready.
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Heero picked Alex up and headed for the Sanc Kingdom Palace.
"Hello Master Heero, Relena is waiting for you in the sitting room."
Heero and Alex walked down a short corridor before coming to an open door.
"Heero, you're here. Now we can get going."
"What is everyone doing here?"
"Did ya think that we would miss Trowa's first game?" Duo chimed in.
"He's my best friend, I would be breaking a major rule if I didn't." Quatre said who was holding Dorothy's hand.
"When did that happen." Quatre blushed a bright crimson color and looked at the floor. Dorothy noticed Quatre's embarrassment and spoke for him, " Quatre and I have been involved for a while now. We have put away our differences and now have a stable relationship." Dorothy swung her arms around his neck and kissed him fully on the lips. Heero looked at Relena and she blushed.
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They had arrived at the stadium a half and hour before the game began. Relena had two boxes available, one for the owner and manager of the team, the other, which was much closer to the field for her guests. Although this was the first season of the league, all of the other players had been training for a while. Trowa was a last minute addition.
"In case anyone is interested, I have front row seats available right behind the players."
"I am, you can barley see anything up here." Alex took the ticket Relena offered her. She headed out of the box and down toward the middle of the stadium. She found her seat and was sitting in the middle of about twenty empty ones. Perhaps the only 19 seats not occupied by anyone. There had been a great turn out. People outside were begging to get in. Alex spotted Trowa on the bench, waiting for the game to begin.
"TROWA!" She called out to him. He turned around and spotted her among many empty seats. She stuck out like a soar thumb. He grabbed and empty chair and jogged over to her. He stepped on the chair so her could meet her face to face.
"Where is everyone?"
"They are up in the press box, I'm sure they will come down eventually. Are you nervous?"
"No, once you've faced a hundred mobile suits not much else can make you nervous. Anyway I have to go, the game is starting soon." Alex leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Trowa gave her a half smile.
"What was that for?"
"Good Luck."
"I see, wait for me after the game."
"I will." Trowa hurried back over to the bench and soon the crowd rose for the National Anthem. When that had ended, One of the players dedicated the field to the Gundam pilots and Relena Peacecraft. "Without them this could only be a dream…" The players took the field for the kick off. An honor given to Trowa. Soon the game was in play and most of the people who had been in the press box gave up to come down to the seats to get a better view. Catherine had been among the first to arrive.
"Hi Alex, remember me?"
"Yeah, we met at the ball."
"I'm so glad you remembered! So what's going on with you and my brother?"
"Not much, we've only been on one date."
"Well that one better be turned into many, my brother needs someone in his life, don't get me wrong or anything, I love him, but he needs something that I can't give him."
"I am glad that you approve."
"How do you feel about him?"
"I like him a lot. I am just drawn to him."
"Trowa seems to be oblivious to his looks. Girls are attracted to him like a magnet. He doesn't seem to notice. He noticed you, that means there is something special about you."
"I hope so."
A/N:Well I hope you liked it. I worked on it very hard. Reviews are appreciated! The next chapter will be on the game , Trowa and Alex's relationship and the relationship of others. Bye for now! Oh and I do not own gundam wing.