Reminiscent
Chapter 8

Living with Relena… it feels normal. Well, aside from the looks I get from Milliardo and her father. Otherwise, I liked watching her family move about their daily business. And of course, to repay, I helped them out sometimes. Although, there's not really all that much I can do, considering everyone in the family seems to have some sort of expertise. Relena herself had some expertise points in building, designing, chores, school, management and some other things.

However, besides their mother, Larissa, I was the only one with any skill in cooking. When Larissa found out, she practically squealed and asked me to help out with her and teach Relena to cook as well. (She had given up on the boys, but felt a woman had to know how to cook)

So, everyday, Relena would come home from school and study or work until dinner, at which time I would search for a job. Dinner we helped cook, and cleaned up after. After dinner we would usually go back to Relena's room, since our time was free then. It was used to finish homework, read, watch television, and sometimes I had the chance to watch as Relena made up songs or did something artistic. And of course showering and such happened in this time.

Naturally we weren't allowed to close the door.

Afterwards we'd go to bed, Relena in her room and me underneath her little brother on the bunk bed. That was the basic day. Saturdays and Sundays we cleaned or went out to the bar to work, or something.

Two weeks after I had moved in, I had been taking a break from job searching that day and admired her father's workmanship on the garage outside. It wasn't just a garage; a ledge stretched from the garage to Relena's window. In the summer, which was coming up, they could climb out of her window onto the roof of the garage, and from there the house.

Just outside her window was a glass structure; a miniature greenhouse. It was made to plant special vegetables that weren't usually found around here. It seemed to work rather well… and her father, Mateo, also had a green thumb. Actually, there was hardly anything that man couldn't do, including staring the shit out of you. Yes, staring.

"I'm home!" Relena announced. "Hello?" She managed her way to her room, swiping the phone on her way in. She stopped at the doorway, cocking her head to one side.

"What?" I was climbing out the window to sit on the ledge, so that half my body was on each side of the wall.

"Oh nothing." She dismissed it and dropped off her stuff. "I'm just not used to seeing you home." I shrugged.

Usually, she would be setting up her homework and getting a drink or snack by now, but she was pacing. Finally, she walked out of the room, clutching something in her pocket. I leaned back, trying to look past the door to where she was, but she had already turned a couple of corners.

The phone beeped as she punched in the number. I climbed off the ledge and followed her out, except hiding behind a wall. I was pretending to be extremely interested in a fake lily in a vase. He house was unreasonably bare…

"Ah, hello, is Michael there?" Michael? The kid that used to eat with use in the council? "Ah yes… you wanted to talk about something?" That's when I realized it; that kid was planning to ask Relena out. I fisted my left hand, then calmed myself. There was no way she would accept; he had only known her for a few months, and let's face it, he wasn't very easy on the eyes.

But then again… she had acted very sweet towards him. And I'm sure she's not shallow… of course not, she's practically perfect.

"With who?" … Are you stupid Relena? I peeked over the wall and saw her fidgeting a blushing, although she sounded sincerely innocent and honest. "Oh… I'm sorry, but I can't… no, it wouldn't feel right."

What were they saying? I wished there was a second line in the house so I could listen in…

"It's complicated. I'm sorry Michael." She hung up and walked into her room, falling against the bed. When I walked in, she had a hand covering her face, and seemed utterly disturbed. "Three call-me's, two directly… fifteen honks." She peeked up at me, through her fingers. "I wouldn't have called this one either, but Michael is… was a friend." I paused.

"How long have you been counting?"

"This past month. This is wrong… I've never been very popular before, why now?" She sat up and I sat beside her. She rolled her head, massaging her throat. My eyes began to make their descent downwards…

"Don't you think so?" I could have slapped myself there… what was I turning into? I agreed dumbly and walked out of her room. Relena watched, silently, and then began her homework.

On the bunk bed, I rubbed my own forehead. I had no idea she was this popular with the guys, to be honest, I was a little jealous, but I can't say I blame them. She was smart, and talented. Sweet natured and kind, forgiving, quiet, although if she wanted to she could be funny and sarcastic. She was good with sports, helpful, and… as I've realized bit by bit, rather lovely too.

But still, they had no claims over Relena… and I really don't want to see her with someone else.

"It's funny." Relena stood at the doorway, leaning against it. She was staring off, at the door. It was raining outside. "I could understand if all the guys that have asked were desperate, but there's been a couple of the more popular guys too." She blushed and looked away. "Sorry, that was random." She smiled at me and then sat on the couch.

"Like who?"

"Huh?" She seemed surprised at my question.

"Like who." I repeated myself slower and lower.

She blushed again and looked away. I smirked to myself, but there were more important things in mind that had to be addressed. "I couldn't say, it's embarrassing, to me and them." She managed a slight smile.

"Was it Wufei?" I sat up, staring at her back. She never looked at me, but by her posture I could tell she was surprised and confused.

"He wouldn't." I opened my mouth to ask why but she stood up and answered my question first. "He… he has some other obligations in that area. He wouldn't see me in that way."

"But what about-"

"What about what Sylvia said?" Relena interrupted. She turned slightly and giggled. "Sylvia has been hung over on my lack of a romantic life for a long time, Heero. She'll do anything to get me interested in a boy right now, but I have other things to concentrate on." She smiled and walked away. "You shouldn't believe everything she says."

"Anyways, I'm gonna go study." She waved dismissively and walked into her room.

After dinner that day, Relena simply sat there, at her desk, her books all piled up neatly and all her homework finished. No chores, no songs, no nothing. I sat on her bed, playing with the ears of an old-looking teddy bear that I had found. She watched me for a moment, until I got bored and placed it to the side.

She opened her mouth, as if about to say something, but then hesitated and looked away. She turned on the radio, flipping through the channels, but never staying on one.

"Ask me already." It was bothering me as much as it was bothering her, so I decided to let her know I was expecting a question. It might speed her up a little. I had surprised her, I could tell by the way she looked away. "Well?"

"Heero…" the light from the desktop lamp wasn't enough for me to see if she was blushing or not, but from her expression, I'm pretty sure she was.

"Go on…"

"Am I pretty?" well… I wasn't expecting that question. I couldn't help but stare at her as she looked down and studied her lap. She seemed like any other girl at that time; completely insecure about how she looked and what she let on to be. I was rather surprised…

"I… I guess." At that she smiled at me, and I could feel my heart beat quicken a bit. I wondered what she was going to do…

"I should have figured as much." She laughed to herself. She wasn't sad either, instead she was completely happy in my answer. "I've known you for so long, I don't know why I couldn't guess your answer."

She laughed and I smiled. That's right, we have known each other for a long time. Much longer than most people. In the past few weeks, so many things have happened, and I seemed to have forgotten that fact.

The wonderful and mysterious aura that seemed to float about her seemed to disappear, and I found myself looking at Relena. The old one I had become friends with years ago, plain and simple. Happy and carefree. Suddenly the pedestal I had mounted her on seemed to disappear and she was just another normal girl. It was odd how my view of her changed with only a few words.

But the strange thing was I still liked her. Even when my view of her changed, my feelings for her didn't. Instead, it seemed like everything that had seemed so confusing a moment ago had cleared up, and it was all so simple.

I wanted to see her smile like that towards me, always. I wanted her to be the girl I had grown up with, and the Relena that I've come to know and love. I wanted her to always look at me in the same light as this, never in a way that would make her feel uncomfortable. The mysteries around her could be unravelled little by little, and I shouldn't try and think too hard when it came to her, in case everything clouded up again…

And I wondered what this feeling was. And I wondered to what extent I would go to make her this happy. And I wondered, if it should happen, if I could let her go and be happy with someone else.

And of course, I wondered if I confessed to her, if we could pull it off. Or if we would end up like so many of our friends; broken up and sick of one another.

A pain shot through me at the thought of her looking at me in disgust. No, I wouldn't take the chance. I needed her to be happy around me. I'll take it easy, and watch her for a few years before I would decide how I would care for her; as a brother figure or as her… husband.

"Let's get a snack." She smiled and winked. I smirked and sat up, preparing myself for the head rush. It came and subsided, and I followed her out into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat.

And I guess, for now, this was as happy as I needed to be.

A rather difficult chapter… I was stuck right before the last scene, then it kind of just wrote itself out :D I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! See you next time!

Lei