Duo had gotten an ear full ever since they left the bar. Trowa was letting him have it.

"Trowa, c'mon, man. You know you wanna see her again. Quit bitchin' and toughen up. Geez, I didn't think you were such a pansy."

What Duo failed to realize is that this was Trowa's dream and nightmare, all at the same time. There was no way he could possibly be with Relena…but having that hope was always better than smashing it to pieces.

"You don't get it, Duo. But whatever…we'll see what happens."

Once back at the apartment, Trowa went straight to his room, while Duo headed for the phone before popping in a CD. After four rings, he sighed and plopped down onto the couch.

"Hilde here. I'm off somewhere, so leave one. If I feel like it, I'll get back to you."

At least she was honest.

"Hey, Hilde, it's Duo. Didn't see you at The Hurricane today…just hoping everything's ok. Talk to you later, hopefully…love ya. Bye."

Next was Chang's number, which was picked up after the first ring.

"Yes?"

"Hey, it's Duo! What's up with you and preacher boy?"

"Don't call him that, you know he hates it. What do you need?"

Duo heard someone in the background asking why they were the one who always had to wear leather chaps, but Chang ignored the question. Duo cleared his throat.

"…Well…um…yeah. We're having a little party kinda thing this weekend. More as a way of getting Relena and Trowa together than anything else. Interested?"

"Only if you don't make any remarks about Quatre or myself."

"Yeah yeah, I promise. But just because I want Trowa to have a good time."

"Right. Ok, yeah, we'll be there. Bye. Quatre! How many times do I have to tell you? The zippers on the mask go in the front, not th-click."

"O…k…"

Enough phone for him for one day. A quick search for the stereo remote before Duo skipped to his favorite song and turned it up. This one reminded him of Hilde.

Trowa tried the phone again, this time to find Duo was off. Good. He quickly dialed Relena's number. He had to apologize…tell her that this wasn't his idea. Maybe he could save face if she knew he wasn't a part of the plan. What he got was the answering machine.

"You've reached Relena, but she's out shopping at the moment. Leave your name and number, and she will get back to you as soon as possible. Bye!"

Wow. She changed message greetings every time she went out. All they had was Duo being an ass for thirty seconds. Trowa just hung up, though. The answering machine was no place for apologies.

Trowa sat in the backseat of the Chevrolet Beretta. Relena straddled his lap, looking into his eyes. She giggled each time she would brush his hair to the side, only to have it fall back into place before too long. She was fully aware of Trowa's hands at the small of her back, his arms lightly around her middle.

With a grin, Relena leaned down, and placed a kiss on his lips. Trowa's response was immediate. Drawing a small breath, he closed his eyes, and reveled in the feeling…in the taste…of Relena's lips against his. He was somewhat aware of her tongue pressing against his lips, and they parted to give her access.

His fingers moved to her hair, combing through it softly. Relena's lips left Trowa's for a moment as she took a breath, and Trowa felt as if he had been denied Heaven. And that's where it went wrong.

Relena's lips never returned. She slid from his lap and opened the car door, giving a small wave before the door closed behind her. Trowa tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. He could see Relena, walking further and further away…

And then he was awake, sprawled out on his bed. The clock said 4:23 am. He'd fallen asleep and slept that long? Rolling to his back, he brushed his hands over his face. The next week was going to be hell.