Disclaimer: Gundam Wing + Sailor Moon does not = Mine.
Chapter 8
They arrived late, Minako again panicking as pigeon-sized butterflies frolicked in her stomach. Hiiro ignored how she muttered her speech over and over again under her breath.
In the starlight and veil of darkness, the mansion transformed into a haven of warmth and activity, a fairytale castle that transcended reality. Usagi stared up at it and couldn't help marveling how they were rushing in like Cinderella to her fateful gala. She briefly wondered if people would look at her strangely if she walked around taking pictures.
That was, of course, out of question. Tonight was Minako's night and Hiiro had mentioned before that the world had no need to know of "Relena's" double until necessity demanded it. Usagi was to call as little attention to herself as possible, stay close to Hiiro and Minako and play the ambiguous role of a friend of a friend of Relena.
They paused at the door as guards efficiently skimmed over their IDs and scribbled notes on the guest list before waving them in. Usagi glanced over at Minako and yearned for her camera – she was breathlessly beautiful in layers of white chiffon upon satin. Pragmatically, she herself had picked a muted blue dress, the perfect color for melting into shadow. Taking a deep breath, she matched Hiiro and Minako's steps as they slowed down. This is going to work. Nothing will go wrong.
The three stepped through the door and Usagi surreptitiously nodded at Hiiro and patted Minako on the shoulder before slipping away. By the time she was halfway across the room, the chatter had perceptively lulled as heads turned toward the door. Usagi blinked as Duo tapped her on the shoulder and grinned before continuing in the direction of Hiiro and Minako, undoubtedly planning on fulfilling his role as a guard.
She headed farther into the room, slipping past important diplomats whose names she couldn't even pronounce, eyes focused on the back of the room where there were chairs and stylish little sofas for the tipsy. Usagi scanned the room, wondering where she should hide until "Relena" was done going around the room greeting everybody she needed to, and brightened when she saw Trowa lounging in one of said sofas, eyes focused, like the others, on the blonde figure across the room.
"Can I take this seat?"
Trowa started, smiled, and nodded. She sat with a sigh.
"So why aren't you up there guarding her like everybody else?"
He smiled faintly. "We only need three people with her at one time in each major event and we rotate in. I won at rock, paper, scissors."
She giggled and turned back to the figure in white. She was halfway across the room by then, slowly making her way to the podium.
…………………
To Minako, nothing was worse than being paraded around the room, shaking hands and exchanging greetings. Sure, the first five or so were intriguing and captured her interest but as five turned to ten turned to twenty, her curiosity waned and was eclipsed by utter boredom. She had to admit that she both pitied and admired Miss Relena for being able to put up with this at every social event.
At this time, she would have been rejoicing had she only had to go around greeting hopelessly important people. There was, however, a protective circle of three in her personal space the entire time. Three equally expressionless logs who did not speak, did not smile, did not do anything. She was surprised Duo could pull it off for more than two minutes.
Quatre was beaming at her from across the room on the stage, microphone in hand. Minako glanced up periodically, almost helplessly, at him. By the time she reached him, she would make her speech and would then hopefully disappear into the walls, become part of the drapery, and shrink back to mediocrity. Quatre's beaming face across the room was the metaphorical light at the end of the dark tunnel.
"Relena, you're back! You look well."
She started from the monotony of "thank you, sir"s and "nice to see you again, ma'am"s to meet sharp, navy blue eyes smiling at her.
"Noin…?" The name was half stated, half asked.
The dark blue-black haired woman eyed her puzzledly. "Of course I'm Noin. I'm only your brother's fiancée and your future sister-in-law," she teased. "You seem awfully spacey, Relena."
"I-I'm just not quite used to being back yet," Minako covered quickly. To her right, she saw Duo slowly let out a relieved sigh.
Noin continued to eye her skeptically. "Right." She frowned. "Not quite used to being back to the world you grew up in," she murmured to herself but smiled one last smile at Relena and let her pass.
…………………
"Wow! Look at that woman's dress! I'm saying that's completely indecent." Usagi's eyes roamed around the room, fascinated.
Trowa glanced at her. "After awhile, all of these parties get to be the same. You start not being able to remember whether you skipped the one last week or the one a month ago. And for the more studious and efficient few," Trowa nodded toward a man several seats from them, "you learn to bring a book."
"Is it really that bad?"
He shrugged. "It's like taking drugs. You can never achieve as glorious a high as the first time."
Usagi stared at him. "I know what you mean," she replied slowly though it was obvious from her intonation that she had no idea what he was talking about.
Trowa had to smile. "Of course, you could always be one of the select few, like Duo, who seems to find new ways to amuse himself every time. I believe last time he wanted to see what was the greatest number of times he can step on a woman's feet while dancing before her saying anything." He paused thoughtfully. "The record was 17." He shook his head, waving the number away. "It doesn't matter. Quatre always wins the bets on these things."
Usagi grinned at him. "You all seem so close. It's a wonderful thing."
He cocked his head. "Not in particular. It is especially not a wonderful thing when Duo and Wufei are playing cat and mouse and Hiiro looks inches away from ripping their throats out." Trowa smiled reassuringly at Usagi's startled expression. "Of course Quatre always finds some ingenious way to solve the problem. It's in his genes."
No words were exchanged as Usagi turned to watch Minako – she was almost to the end of the tunnel; a few more people and she'd have reached Quatre.
"But everything broke down when Miss Relena got sick."
She started at the sudden piercing of the silence by Trowa's contemplative voice.
"Hiiro began to act … strangely." Trowa didn't meet her eyes. "He had moments of … incongruity, for lack of a better word. I'd call it deliriousness but that doesn't seem to quite fit." He paused and looked down at the marble and granite floor. "Duo and Quatre were the ones to worry the most though it'd be unfair to say that neither Wufei nor I were the least bit disturbed or dumbfounded at Hiiro's…" He searched in the air for a word. "…fits."
Usagi frowned and glanced over at the impassive and stiff figure beside Minako. "Fits?" she whispered.
Trowa shifted and checked his watch. "But the rest of the story is, of course, up to Hiiro to tell you." He stood up. "It's my shift now." Usagi stared at his tall figure as he pushed past people in order to reach Minako.
…………………
Hiiro finally allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief as Minako uttered the last words of the speech and smiled dazzlingly out at the crowd that expressed its approval and welcome of her by eager applause. He glanced down at her hands clutching the index cards and noted that they had stopped trembling.
"Minako, as Relena, you must at least socialize for fifteen minutes," Duo told her. Minako's victorious smile faltered.
"Socialize? With who?"
Duo shrugged. "Just go around and hear people's comments on your speech." He paused and grinned. "You can tell them about your "self-imposed vacation"."
Minako shot him a brief glare before huffily walking off, bracing herself for fifteen minutes of misery.
"Hiiro, don't follow her." Trowa shook his head at Hiiro's mildly surprised expression. "We don't usually stick with Miss Relena throughout an entire event. It would seem odd if you did this time."
"I don't care. She needs to be watched this first time through." He was about to turn and leave again before Duo grabbed his shoulder.
"If you stick with her every single moment, it would seem as if she needed help. As if she had some serious illness. You'd be fueling the rumors, Hiiro," Trowa explained placidly. "She'll be fine on her own."
Duo grinned. "Yea, there's only so much one person can do in fifteen minutes."
Trowa glanced at Duo and smiled amusedly. "If I were superstitious, I'd say you just jinxed us, Duo."
…………………
"Will you dance?"
Usagi started and looked up from the book on Van Gogh that she had borrowed from the man who had previously been reading. She blinked at the hand in front of her and stared at Hiiro's bland expression.
She eyed him suspiciously. "This isn't some act of pity, is it? Because I understand completely that this is Minako's night and it's not as if I'm sulking about, feeling neglected."
Hiiro let his outstretched hand fall to his side. "This is only the sensible thing to do. To follow Minako around the whole evening would seem unusual and abnormal. While dancing, I'll be able to watch her and stop any disasters before they occur." He stepped back. "However, if-"
She stood up. "All right. For the mission." Usagi smiled at him challengingly.
Nodding succinctly, he took her hand and walked to the dance floor.
…………………
"What was Miss Relena like?"
Even though they were trying to keep physical contact to a minimum, Usagi could feel him tense as they continued the dance steps, Hiiro keeping close watch on Minako out of the corner of his eye.
He didn't reply. Usagi sighed and decided to elaborate. "I mean … I know, of course, from the news that she's gentle, pacifistic, caring, sensitive, helpful. But what was she like in real life? Was she often happy? Did she ever act immature? Did she like to smile a lot?"
Again, a wall of silence met her questions. Usagi pursed her lips and was about to give up before Hiiro finally opened his mouth.
"She was often happy before the … illness. She loved to smile. And at times, she acted immature," he offered stiffly.
Usagi grinned to herself. Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is what I like to call progress. "You loved her, did you not?"
She sigh again as he refused to answer. "Did she love you? I'm sure she did. She seems as if she'd love anybody."
Hiiro's silence answered her question more adequately than his clipped, concise words could ever have. Usagi smiled up at him thoughtfully.
Despite his blank exterior and the carved expression of indifference on his face, Hiiro was desperate, weak, and miserable inside. Usagi's smile transformed into a frown. She was sure Relena was always on his mind and that Hiiro Yui loved Relena Darlian beyond words. Possibly more so than Relena had loved Hiiro.
…………………
Minako didn't show any sign of acknowledging his entrance and presence beside her until at least five minutes had ticked by. "Why'd you follow me here?" She rested her elbows on the ledge of the balcony and glanced questioningly at the stoic figure beside her.
"To guard you. Anything can happen out here." The answer was instantaneous.
She continued to stare at him. In the brief week and a half she had spent with Hiiro, Minako had never truly looked at him, partially due to fear and partially due to moments of white rage for what he did to Relena. She had most certainly never thought Hiiro Yui was in any way handsome. But outside, seemingly miles away from the bustle and chatter of the mansion, this fact became clear to her. She studied his straight nose, his delicate bone structure, contradicted by his stubborn jaw, and the smooth, flat planes of his cheeks.
Minako looked away.
"What is it like to be Hiiro Yui?" It was a strange question – even she thought so – and she wasn't entirely sure who it was directed to. "I'd always imagined it as if I were encased in a glass box. As if I can only sullenly watch the world but not step beyond the boundaries of a simple cube. Of panicking but calmly breathing as the oxygen dwindles and disappears." She stopped and frowned at the moon. "Of drawing everything within myself and enclosing myself in darkness … of taking others' worries and problems on my own shoulders without complaint and in an ultimate sacrifice." Minako turned to gaze at the figure beside her and noted his rigid posture.
"In fact … I'd even go as far as to say you're an allegorical Christ." She shrugged.
"I haven't sacrificed anything."
Minako started and almost laughed at his lack of insight. "Of course you have. You've sacrificed Relena, have you not?"
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The promised the romance … albeit a bit weak and fairly … umm … inconclusive? :D And I dropped more hints … at least I think I dropped hints … ; Do most people write their chapters in 10 pt. font? ; Bad for the eyes … :x But anyhow … thanks for reading, guys. :D Yours, Angel.
Delphine Pryde: Here's the next chapter! :D
Liquid Ice: Warping Usagi … heh heh. I think it makes sense too …and I'm sure that's why there's nothing against making her more graceful, etc … but still. It's very refreshing to read a good fic where she is actually kept very close to her anime personality [the one most of us are familiar with]. :D Yesyes … Hiiro. Lol. I cringed when Dr. J said "he's really quite a kind-hearted boy". xD As for Hiiro/Usagi pairing … I'm not sure how I settled upon that [for a majority of my fics] and … I don't know. :x Maybe because Usagi's personality is so flexible. xD Thinking completely with the mind, that is. :D The triangle. Hmm … I want to prolong it because I really can't decide. ^^; So any … urk … inequalities are probably unintentional until later chapters. xD But for your theory … it definitely makes sense and I might end up doing something like that … but up until now, any hints toward it have been accidental. xD But please do keep guessing … a lot of my ideas are either branches off yours or … heh, exact copies of yours. xD Maybe you shouldn't keep guessing … I'm cheating. xD Wow … I'm very flattered that I'm one of the two you still read … o_o It makes me want to skip to school … lol.
Serenity Angel: Thank you! :D Hopefully Cry will be updated soon, by the way. :D
Kazzeh Sodapop: LOL. Strangle away. xD
Tenshi Hotaru: Yay! Tension-reliever. :D No time limit apparently … :3 Hmm … the one-act play is going on at my school … ; Sounds fun … even if you're driving yourself crazy. xD
Usagi Asia Maxwell: I was veryvery tempted … with the playing pranks thing … lol. But I didn't think I could've pulled it off very well. xD
Cheska: Lol … I should know to expect Usa/Hiiro from you. xD And it's great to have you back. :3
Gackt Camui: Hmm … I think I've heard that coffee makes people irritated largely when they suffer from withdrawal … lol. And irritation is a symptom of caffeine withdrawal. ; ::shrugs:: Minako … heh heh … I'm starting to equate Minako with Usagi. o_o Very bad thing … :x Are midterms over yet for you? ;
AznxAngel: Lol … some Minako/Hiiro hints … he seems preoccupied with her. :D But no final decisions yet … probably no final decisions until … next summer. Lol. xD
Water Angel1: Yay! I received a pardon … :3 And caffeine scene was … interesting … "unique". xD I think I was half-delirious while writing it. ; Had to go back in the morning and correct a billion typos. xD