Adagio
Adagio – musical marking, slow and stately (literally, "at ease")
A/N: Relativity says we live in four dimensions. There are the three dimensions of space: length, width, depth. And one dimension of time.
Chapter 2: Dimension (Sunpō 寸法)
To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love. ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
This was not what she expected when Heero asked for some of her time after work.
Clutching her knees and panting heavily, Relena struggled to catch her breath. The sound of her respiration resounded in the dimly lit tunnel. She glanced up, still breathless.
The person who brought her here stood not too far ahead, presumably doing a round of checks – or some modifications – on the keypad securing the heavy door in front of them.
She surreptitiously ran a hand on her side, taking a deep inhale. My, that was painful. She didn't think she was that out-of-shape.
Straightening up, she finger-combed her bangs back and leaned on the wall. It felt cold on her shoulder and temple. She felt so tempted to collapse onto the floor, except the concrete would likely be as cold. And there were still infrared surveillance cameras around.
She pushed herself away from the wall, forcing herself to stand upright and taking measured rounds of inhales and exhales. Heero reappeared beside her.
"All good?" she asked.
One corner of his mouth twitched. "I should be the one asking you that."
She looked that bad then. She nodded, a self-deprecating smile in place. She observed him closely. He didn't even break a sweat. Figures.
She should have figured it was this kind of invitation too. A few weeks after he joinined the Preventer and taking command of her security team, he thought it was necessary to personally check the escape routes. It was just so like him, methodical and thorough. Except that he point-blank asked her to test run the closest exit route in person.
When he appeared in her office at the end of the workday and told her about the plan, she stared at him blankly. She figured he wanted her to know what to do in emergencies, so she replied she actually already knew the way. Everyone was briefed on the floor map and fire exits by the Occupational Health and Safety team. She didn't expect him to actually want to measure how quick – or in this case, how slow – it would take her to reach safety. She guessed she should be thankful he didn't insist on doing dry-run for the longest exit route – or God forbid for all exit points.
She hid a smile behind her fist. "Shall we head back?"
They made their way back slowly. Heero naturally took half a step behind her, shadowing her like when she ran for her life through the tunnel only minutes before. She stopped and gave him a look, head tilting slightly to one side. He got the point and took his place beside her, resuming their walk.
"Well? How did it go?" she prodded.
"You reached the exit in 15 minutes and 8 seconds, which is approximately 30% quicker than the average record for females," he began. "Though I highly recommend not running at your top speed in a real emergency."
"Oh?" she replied, her interest piqued. "Why?"
"You need to reserve your breath," he explained. "There is no telling if further danger lurks outside of the exit point."
She hummed, the sound a mix of agreement and amusement. "I need to get a better pair of shoes."
He glanced at her. Her typical work attire, which obviously was not the best thing to wear for running, was decidedly no longer in neat order. Having left her suit jacket back in her office, she was dressed in a pair of tailored pants and a white button down blouse. Compared to other women in the ministry, her heels were quite low. But he surmised that it was still not the most convenient to sprint in. She didn't say a word of complaint. He always valued that side of her.
He stopped a certain distance from the set of stairs heading back up to the west wing. She halted her steps too, waiting expectantly.
"A blind spot from cameras," he murmured, making a gesture to straighten his own jacket and uniform.
She nodded, sent him a grateful smile, and inconspicuously turned her back to him. He turned the other way, giving her privacy.
"Ready," she said quietly. He observed the top two buttons of her blouse were now fastened, her low ponytail freshly retied. Wisps of blond hair still matted with sweat, it was a far cry from her camera-ready look. But she looked almost presentable.
As if reading his mind she commented, "I hope most people are already gone."
He nodded. It took them almost twice as long to head back. Combined with the time they took to reach the exit and the time he spent tinkering with the door panel, it had been an hour past the peak rush hour.
They were proven right. There weren't that many people left in the building. Relena headed back into her office, retrieving her suit jacket and bag. Waiting in front of her door, Heero updated the team on their status and notified her home security the approximate time she would arrive. Figuring she would prefer minimal escort, he dismissed one of the officers.
He would take her home.
If there was something peace afforded them, it would be time to get to know each other better.
She straightened, making herself more visible amidst the crowd, catching Heero's eyes. She had found them a spot.
He gestured to Wufei Chang and the two of them made their way across. Settling back down onto the simple polypropylene chair across Sally in the Preventer's cafeteria, Relena watched the two young vigilantes-turned-agents heading towards their table, trays on hands.
She felt like the odd one out.
She saw a few familiar faces, people she had worked with or were part of her security entails, throwing a hello, a friendly smile, or a slight nod to each. Sally did the same to several others, responding to waves and greetings with the ease of routine. No one seemed to find anything amiss.
Although the Preventer's building was not open for public, certain areas are accessible to guests or people holding a pass. She legitimately had a security pass, just like a good number of other staffs in the Parliament Hall. As one of the prominent supporters of the organization, it was not her first time visiting the building or eating in its cafeteria. Official meetings aside, Lucrezia had made a point of inviting her out on occasions, often with Sally in tow, simply due to the closeness of their partnership. The older ladies never thought it was cumbersome to make friends with a girl in her teens and Relena truly enjoyed their company. She was glad Sally remained socially amiable even after Lucrezia left for Mars. Taking quick bites alone in her office or formal business lunches with other officials got old pretty fast. Being no longer able to casually go out on her own did limit one's options. Not that there were that many choices to begin with. Even before the recent kidnapping, she admittedly no longer had many friends her age.
Though it might be changing now.
Wufei took a seat next to Sally across the table. Noticing his gaze on her, Relena offered an open smile, the young man's face neutrally polite. She turned to reply to Sally's question and caught the black haired agent's gaze slid to Heero, who wordlessly settled down next to her, before focusing on his own food.
Having been roped into eating lunch together, clearly Relena was not the only one finding the four of them sitting at one table a curious event. She wondered what Heero thought.
Heero started to realize how little he actually knew about Relena.
From their simple lunch out, he learned quite an amount of new information about her. She ate lunch with Sally Po from time to time. She preferred chicken or fish to red meat. She liked tea better than coffee, plain and freshly-brewed. Though with coffee, oddly enough, she said she couldn't take it black.
And he had considerably underestimated her interpersonal skills.
He knew that she excelled in seemingly all types of communication. Not only gifted in speaking, she was even better at listening. She showed genuine interest and care in people and things, always seeing the best in others. Coupled with her inherent charisma and personal charm, she had a tendency to win people over.
When the four of them stepped into the cafeteria he sensed several pairs of eyes on her, ranging from blandly inquisitive to enthusiastically friendly. None was hostile. It surprised him to find the number of people she was on a first-name basis with – which apparently included Wufei. He knew for a fact that the other former pilot, like he himself, scarcely made such exception.
It didn't mean them having lunch together was not awkward though. She and Sally kept conversation between themselves, keeping the men engaged mostly through eye contacts and friendly gestures, although they would volley a question or two their way.
Midway through the lunch she made a comment on her lack of exercise, circling her gaze from Sally, to Wufei, to him, pausing almost unnoticeably longer. Casually taking a bite of her chicken, she turned back to Sally.
He inwardly smiled, she was referring to their impromptu drill the other day.
Relena guessed that as field agents they had to keep in shape, which all three of them affirmed. They talked about the government-sponsored gym facilities each Preventer had access to, including one in this particular building. She asked how they stayed fit.
"Well, I personally stick with HIIT exercises," Sally lightly answered, "Though we have an Olympic-sized pool which is quite nice as well."
Relena nodded. "Going to the gym is likely not an option for me, but I heard static bicycles are getting popular. There is apparently an entire community online."
"I think it is more a fad, honestly. The amount they charged for the equipment and the subscription is a rip-off."
"I guess I'll stick to the treadmill then. I've been doing some light stretches as well."
The two women went on to discuss alternatives, sharing anecdotes, before Sally asked what other things Relena previously tried.
"I did tennis when I was in high school," she replied, consciously catching his eyes. Sally's face lit with recollection, she was one of very few people who knew them that way back. He did leave that record in his personnel bio, a convenient and harmless cover in case anyone questioned their connection.
Having nothing to lose, he added. "And horse-riding."
Her blink was the only sign of her surprise. She genially agreed, "And horse-riding."
The remark intrigued Wufei, something Relena also picked up. Understanding Heero's tacit agreement that he didn't mind sharing the information she explained, "We went to school together. Very briefly."
"A few weeks." He answered the dark-eyed pilot unvoiced question, "AC 195."
The year of the Operation Meteor. Wufei nodded.
Keeping the conversation light, Sally continued to poke fun at the unusual sport options Saint Gabriel Academy offered. The older agent sent what he started to identify as a teasing look to him, "And what did you do in school?"
Swallowing the last bite of his meal, Heero shrugged. "Fencing."
It drew an approving sound from the seat across. "I didn't get to ask what kind of exercise you do Wufei," Relena asked. "Let me guess. Also combat sports?"
Answering trust with trust, the other pilot replied. "Wushu. There are many branches, but they are all rooted in self-defense."
That, in turn, drew a positive acknowledgement from Relena. They discussed tai chi, a form of gentler exercise derived from ancient Chinese tradition. Sally and Heero chipped in the discussion on similar practices, including yoga and aikido. The conversation shifted into how consistently doing regular exercise was more important than the type of the physical activity.
He noted that by the end of the lunch the awkwardness had mostly evaporated. There really was no underrating her skill with people.
It occurred to Relena that she liked having Heero around.
It is day four of her nine days of colony visits focusing on shoring up support for trade and rules-based international order. She has just wrapped up the first stop of the tour the day before, making an overnight stop at L4 to meet with fellow leaders of the cluster's economic cooperation group, before heading to L3 next.
Economic concerns were at the forefront of both politicians and general public. The damage from Eve Wars was massive and it cost a lot to rebuild. Each colony and nation had different specialties and needs; plainly speaking they need to trade resources and manpower. True unification of Earth and the colony was badly needed, and without a militaristic dictatorship driving it, the only way to permanently bridge the gap was through restoration of diplomatic and economic ties. The old Alliance's tarnished past did not help the young ESUN government image. The first and second generation colonists' harbored jaded suspicions of yet another Earth-based centralized government body. To make matters worse, though colonies shared a general antipathy towards Earth, they were nowhere near close to be united in other areas. There was barely any foundation for economic convergence.
It was an uphill battle. Her visits were received well enough, albeit not dramatically turning the tide. Still, there was power in small wins. What she and the minister were doing, combined with what everyone else was doing, would surely make a difference in the long run.
Nevertheless, it sure was draining. The negotiations and political messaging absorbed most of her energy and attention, it was such a relief to have Heero in charge.
Before, an off-planet business trip always came attached with an extra workload. Not only she had to facilitate a common ground between colony representatives and leaders, she also had to fight her own battle with the commanding officer on his rigidly ridged approach in escorting. She could endure personal inconveniences, but there was a line she wouldn't back down from. She understood that the goal was to prevent another incident. She truly did. Yet subjecting their hosts to intrusive screenings and searches, mobilizing an obscene amount of entourage, or conducting an excessive anti-terrorism protocol in each location sweep plainly ran counter to the image she was trying to project. She really didn't need her own team piling more hostility to the mountain she was trying to climb across.
It was different with Heero. She could candidly assert the need of tact and diplomacy. He did not need the cover of carefully chosen words to understand that it was neither a whine nor a personal attack. She could be bluntly open, asking if some protocols were truly needed. He would answer her questions without personal bias or hidden agenda. When he told her of potential threats and certain areas which posed a higher risk, he would do so matter-of-factly, not because he was trying to scare her or bully her into submission. They could openly discuss the level of acceptable risk, mitigation controls, and what to do in worst-case scenario. They got into disagreements, sure, but she found she actually liked arguing with him. Looking at the world through his eyes showed her a completely different perspective. There was a distinct difference having someone you completely trust.
He also had the handy trait of making the impossible possible. Today's overnight stop was a fairly last-minute addition. If it was the previous commander, he would have balked at it.
She decided she more than liked having Heero around. The way things went, he might actually be ruining her for others.
Wrapping up today's debrief, everyone went to bid each other goodnight.
"Get some rest! Good work today." "Have a good one Justine! Good night Relena!" "Good night guys!" "Have a great evening." "Thanks everyone, you too."
Heero went last, heading to the door. Relena went to see him out.
"Good night Heero."
They paused, exchanging a look. The valediction, so mundane to most, was once uncommon to them.
"See you tomorrow."
Something they used to do without, much like the assurance of seeing each other again.
Heero closed the door to the hotel suite that Relena and her aide shared for the night. The other officers went to occupy the rooms on the left and right, he himself took the room right across the hall, effectively creating a safety circle. They would take turns on guard duty tonight.
It was his first time commanding an away mission, but he found leading the small, tightly-knitted group manageable.
That was due, in no small part, to Relena facilitating a trust-based work relationship between him and the rest of team members.
He acknowledged that he had not had a lot of experience working in a team. Even during the wars, with the other gundam pilots, the overall operation was loosely structured and largely dependent on each member acting independently, thinking on their feet, making and adjusting their own plan.
Simply put, he and the other pilots didn't deal with outsiders very well.
He had adopted a methodical commanding style, needing to keep reminding himself to break things down, explain more, ensure people were clear on what needs to be done. He was aware that there were more aspects to leadership than that, many competencies he still needed to work on. Watching Relena interact with the team, taking the more affiliative approach, was a good learning experience. She took advantage of her prior connection with each member to smooth out the edges and make them more comfortable working together. There was an easy camaraderie that wouldn't be as quickly built without her.
She counter-balanced his taciturn tendencies, effortlessly expounding his often succinct directions, maintaining a good-natured, approachable character. She went so far to apologize and thank the team for the extra planning and work that went to the recent schedule change, leaving Heero clear of any blame. It was almost as if Relena recognized that he went out of his way to accommodate her, and she was trying her utmost to reciprocate.
Yes, he joined the Preventer to make amends. Considering the wrongs he did her during the war, he figured he owed her favors. The way things went, and the many good turns she unwittingly did for him, he wondered if he would ever be able to pay them all back.
I saw that you were perfect and I loved you. Then I saw that you were not perfect and I loved you even more. ― Angelita Lim