In the days following the wedding, Relena was riding a high that drugs just couldn't match. At least she thought so. Drugs had never been her thing. But for the first time in a long time, she was well and truly happy.

Her days were split between spending time with just Duo, and sharing him with her friends… their friends… and her parents. Nights, on the other hand… Nights were magical.

Relena had had a few boyfriends over the years who had been serious enough for her to have sex with, but not many. Some had been more compatible than others, but none of them compared to Duo. He was a most considerate lover, always taking pains to ensure her pleasure. She did her best to reciprocate, and from his reactions, she was succeeding.

She loved watching the way his face changed as desire became deeper, leading to desperation and then sweet, sweet release. The noises he made when she took him in her mouth were exquisite. And the dirty talk! She never could have imagined being so turned on by simple words, but the things he said to her made her heart pound and moisture pool between her legs.

She cherished as well the languid time they spent wrapped together after their climaxes. She would lie against him with her head on his shoulder as he stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head, or he would spoon behind her, pulling her close and nuzzling her neck. Then they would fall into a deep sleep, only to wake and start again.

Sometimes, even when they were alone, he would call her "sweetheart" and her heart would swell, only to shrivel a moment later, knowing he was just rehearsing for when they were in company. He called her that then, too, more often, so she knew it was just an act. He was an accomplished actor, she had discovered. If she didn't know better, even she would think he was completely besotted with her.

She wondered sometimes what things would be like after the cruise came to an end. Neither of them had brought up the subject, and she was dreading that conversation. To keep up the act, would they have to move in together? As a graduate student, she did have the option to study remotely, so long as she attended the conferences she had committed to, which usually required travel anyway. Duo had mentioned traveling some as an instructor, but he also owned his own dance studio in New York City. She couldn't imagine he would be ready to uproot himself just for the sake of a fake marriage.

Relena was brought out of her musings when Dorothy poked her on the side of her head. She looked at her friend with exasperation.

"What now?" she said, irritated.

"You're brooding," Dorothy accused.

They were lounging on some lawn chairs next to the pool while Duo was off doing something or other with Quatre. Trowa and Catherine were rehearsing an act for that night. Relena scowled.

"Was not."

"You're a terrible liar, you know. Spill."

Relena decided to be mostly honest. "I'm wondering what will happen after the cruise. Duo and I haven't actually talked about it. My parents will expect us to move in together, of course, but that's a pretty big step." She sighed. "I guess I didn't fully think this through, did I?"

"You really don't have to move in together, at least not right away. You only have a semester left in your studies, right? Finishing out some coursework while the committee reviews your thesis? Finish that, then decide if it's worth continuing the charade. By then it might be time to get the divorce."

The thought of the divorce made Relena even more unhappy. Sure, it was part of the plan, but would it mean the end of their friendship? Would Duo even want to see her again? In such a short time, he'd come to mean so much to her. She couldn't imagine saying goodbye to him forever.

"I think there's more to your melancholy than just the impending complications," Dorothy observed, and Relena's stomach clenched in anxiety.

"Do you?" she asked cooly, hiding her nerves.

"There is and you know it. Don't think I haven't noticed the way you look at him."

"What way is that?"

"Like he's the only person in the room. Like he's the best thing you've ever seen. Like you couldn't imagine your life without him."

Relena pursed her lips, not responding. What could she say? Dorothy was right. Dorothy was completely right. She couldn't imagine her life without him, not anymore.

"You're going to have to tell him, you know."

Relena turned on Dorothy, channeling her anxiety and frustration into irritation at her friend. "Tell him what, exactly? That I love him? That's hardly fair. We agreed this would be a marriage in name only. I'm not going to pressure him with my unrequited feelings. It could ruin everything! Do you think he'd still act the way he does with me if he was worried about giving me the wrong idea?" Tears stung her eyes. "I don't want to lose this, Dorothy. The way things are right now is perfect, really. I'm happy! Don't ask me to ruin this!"

Dorothy gave her an uncommon look of sympathy, laying her hand on her arm in comfort. "You're crying. Those aren't happy tears, Relena. Yes, you're happy sometimes, in the moment, but now? When you're being honest with yourself? You can't keep putting yourself through this."

"I can," Relena insisted stubbornly.

"I really don't think you need to. Besides," Dorothy said, hesitating. "I've seen him look at you the same way. Like you hung the moon and the stars for him. Like he couldn't imagine his life without you."

"He's putting on a show, Dorothy. It's all an act when we're in company. He doesn't look at me like that when we're alone." Though, now that Relena thought about it, there had been times in their shared cabin when he'd looked at her very intently, when he thought she wasn't looking, times when she could have sworn she saw longing or… or something. She'd dismissed it as her imagination, but maybe…?

"Nobody is that good an actor," Dorothy insisted. "I'm telling you, you need to talk to him. This is eating you up, and it's only going to get worse."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Relena replied, increasingly uncomfortable with the subject.

Dorothy sighed. "Very well," she acquiesced, then stood, stretching. "I think I'll go for a swim. Care to join me?"

"Sure," Relena said, grateful for the olive branch. She stood as well, and they headed into the pool.