Adagio
Adagio – musical marking, slow and stately (literally, "at ease")
A/N: There is plenty happiness to be had, knowing someone read what you put time into writing. And on that note, once again, thank you for reading this. Each and every click, favorite, follow, and review is dearly valued. Recently, one guest reader mentioned that this particular fic is re-readable. Going back to re-read a novel length 'romance' story with squint-and-it's-kind-of-not-there romantic elements from the very beginning? I'm still quite over the moon about it. That someone also told me that they would like to see our almost couple interact more. Dare I say there might be more than one mind thinking the same? If so, my friend, this chapter is for you.
Warning: Long chapter alert. Also, this chapter may have side effects of eliciting sudden cravings for alcohol, Celtic pop covers, and/or your own impromptu getaway.
Chapter 14: Lucid (Shōki 正気 )
The Japanese word 'shōki' means sanity, consciousness, soberness.
Lucid comes from the Latin verb lucere, 'to shine', which is reflected in its English meaning 'filled with light' or 'shining'. Used as an adjective, it commonly refers to having full possession of one's faculties, a moment of clarity, especially in the intervals between periods of confusion, insobriety, or insanity.
In psychology, a lucid dream refers to a state where the dreamers are aware that they are dreaming while they are asleep. They know that the events in their dream are not really happening, but the experience still feels vivid and real. In some occasions, they may even be able to control how the action unfolds, as if directing scenes in a movie.
Resistance by definition is self-sabotage. ― Steven Pressfield, The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle
He should have known it would end up like this.
Aside from Duo's dubiously well-intentioned surprises, the day had gone smoothly enough. The tour around the yard was brief and relatively uneventful. One of the pet projects that Duo and Hilde worked on was the restoration of classic and collectible automobiles. It was a niche field, so the quantity and turnover weren't high. But with the investment being relatively low and certain models having the potential to fetch a good price, it worked out as a decent side revenue. Duo himself admitted it was more 'scratching an itch to tinker' than anything else. Heero could relate to that – a hardware project had its own charm.
While he could understand the former pilot's avocation, Heero still dismissed the suggestion to drive around the town in what Duo called his most precious baby, a Continental GT vintage convertible. It was too eye-catching for one, not to mention far from being bulletproof.
They drove around in the all-purpose vehicle instead, the same one they used to get down from the spaceport. After some sightseeing, they dropped by the hotel to check in, then continued on to the biggest mall in L2 for window shopping and souvenir hunting.
The shopping precinct was accurately colossal, in terms of size. Relena marveled at the man-made canals that run across the Little Venice section, complete with actual gondolas and singing gondolieri. She thankfully didn't take up the gondolier's offer to go for a ride. "Va bene belle signorine. La prossima volta allora!" (Next time then, pretty ladies.)
After the sun had set, Duo and Hilde took them to the central plaza, where they watched a dancing water fountain show. Accompanied by music and lights, the hundreds of water sprouts actually delivered a striking audiovisual performance.
All those places they went to were open, crowded spaces. But with the risk being manageable, Heero had no problem giving it a green light.
When it was time for dinner, Duo brought them to a commercial enclave in L2 downtown, populated by restaurants, cafes, and other eateries. After being asked to choose where to eat, Relena, in turn, had asked for a recommendation. This was Hilde and Duo's stomping ground, after all.
The place they were led on to was decidedly not a diner.
When Duo sold them the idea, he extolled that the place they were heading to had serviceable dinner fare, a nice 'old-timey' ambience, friendly staff, and a parking lot, which was a rarity in the area.
Those were true enough, except that he had neglected to mention that it also offered a wide selection of alcoholic beverages. As it turned out, they were brought into a pub. An Irish pub, at that.
When Heero had halted on the sidewalk, Duo cajoled him. "Don't be so suspicious. It is a perfectly respectable establishment. Ain't no dive bar."
Hilde, seeing Relena's hesitancy, vouched for the same. "It is a family business, the current owner is the third generation. Not too rowdy. No drunken louts, I promise."
Heero and Relena shared a look. With a small tilt of her head, she asked, "Should we at least take a look inside?"
He, more than anyone else, knew that once she was intrigued by something, it was difficult to deter her.
With no other way but forward, he went to open the door for her. Relena, with an air of anticipation and a kind of quiet excitement about her, ambled lightly in. While Heero, alert and watchful beside her, trudged along, feeling that, not for the first time that weekend, he had been cleverly outmaneuvered.
Having secured a booth at the back of the pub, Heero had grudgingly settled in.
Perhaps settled in was not the best description. The girls had gone to freshen up, apparently a polite way of saying that they needed to use the washroom. After his reluctant compliance to sit down, there weren't even five seconds before Heero got to his feet again.
"What now?"
"She forgot her hat."
"You want her to wear a hat to the loo?" Duo looked at him as if he was a lunatic. "Stop looking like bugs are crawling on your skin. It's gonna be fine."
Just as he finished saying that, the group hanging out at the bar counter exploded in a loud guffaw. One guy stepped back, holding onto his stomach, bumping right into Relena.
"Probably," Duo added, a little less flippantly.
Heero eyed him balefully. Easy for Duo to say.
From day-to-day observation, he was aware that Relena had features that people would consider exquisite. Her feminine yet sophisticated appeal attracted attention easily.
In light makeup and simple attire, such as today, she wasn't dolled up to stop people in their tracks. But it was enough to make people turn twice.
It was less about her looks than the way she carried herself. She wasn't the type of person who smacked into people on the street, bulldozing her way through without a single backwards glance. She was too mannerly for that.
So there she went, turning to the side, responding to the profuse apologies. He could imagine her reflexively saying that she was sorry as well. Excusing herself with a slight nod, a brief eye contact. Flashing her signature smile.
Relena, she didn't realize certain effects she had on people. Away from the spotlight, simply going about her way, she blended in enough not to be noticeable. But in a direct interaction, within close proximity… she could turn from unassuming to captivating in zero second flat.
As if to prove the point, the man returned to his stool with a dazed look. The group continued their raucous banter, but the curly-haired guy kept turning to one side, stealing glances.
Swallowing down a sigh, Heero dropped the hat back onto the seat.
Too late to bring it over now.
The man really couldn't let her out of his sight, could he?
Duo was torn between being vaguely impressed and getting weirded out. After Relena and Hilde had excused themselves, Heero, in his typical overprotective fashion, followed them with his gaze.
Hilde wasn't actually joking when she said she was armed. Part of the guard duty arrangement was to have one person sticking by Relena's side, adequately equipped to deal with any dangerous situation.
If the toilet wasn't gender separated, he might actually have gone with them, standing guard in front of the door. Geez, being paranoid had its limits.
"Heero, sit," Duo said finally. "You are attracting attention."
Heero deigned to send one cursory glance, then proceeded to ignore him.
Duo rolled his eyes. "Let's have a quick chat. Your favorite topic, contingency exfil."
That got him more than a side look. Duo gestured to the seat, waiting for Heero to sit down.
The waitress had given them a stack of napkins along with the cutleries, set on one side of their table. Duo unfolded a paper napkin, using it as a makeshift map.
He grabbed the salt and pepper shakers. Putting one down on the napkin, he said, "This is where we are. A stone's throw from the main avenue. Lotsa entrances to subway."
"See the door over there?" He chinpointed the paneled one behind the last booth, a fiberglass door painted to look like wood. "It goes to the galley. There's another door heading out to the back alley, connected to the side street."
"And this is your hotel," he continued, placing the other shaker down, drawing a path with his finger. "It ain't far as well, just a few blocks away. Ten, fifteen minutes walk tops, even with her legs."
"You planned this," Heero said in an accusatory tone.
Duo looked up with a wry grin. "Well, yeah. I don't wanna sit here ordering milk while everybody else is drinking beer."
"I can be the designated driver."
"What, you're gonna drive Hil and I home too?"
He went silent. They knew it didn't matter if it was Duo, Hilde, or Heero who refrained from drinking. Relena would likely abstain as well, in solidarity.
"We all drink. Or we don't." Duo rapped his index and middle fingers onto the table. "Listen, it ain't hurt to cut loose once in a while. I bet she doesn't have many chances like this."
Another silence, shorter this time.
"Fine," Heero replied. "One drink."
Thoroughly pleased with his win, Duo grinned. "Nah, it'll take a lot more to get me plastered."
He rolled his eyes at Heero's unimpressed look, giving him a mock salute.
"Aye, aye, commander. Point taken."
He didn't even get to feel jealous.
Instead, the longer the girls spent at the bar, the more anxious Duo got. Heero went from skeptical, to displeased, to downright hostile. The level of animosity radiating from the seat across was rising so rapidly it was no longer funny.
Casting a backward glance, Duo silently urged them to hurry. He really didn't fancy a barfight. He hadn't even had any beer yet!
Hilde put a hand on Relena's shoulder, steering her back.
Babe! He cheered. That's my girl.
One of the men, the same one Relena had bumped into earlier, made a stopping motion. Duo's pity for the seemingly nice enough guy dried up. Like, come on bro, try your luck somewhere else.
On their table, Heero made a motion to stand up.
Oh to hell with it.
He kicked him under the table, hard.
The dark blue laser locked onto him like a homing missile. Better him than those unsuspecting victims, Duo heroically thought. He, at least, had a higher chance of survival.
It became clear to Hilde that Lena, her one-night, third cousin once removed, knew very little of the world.
Being a cultured, educated young woman had no bearing on it. Neither was having considerable finesse over the most powerful, influential leaders of the sphere.
"See," Hilde said in an assuring tone. "No need to be so nervous."
"You are right." Certain they were a safe distance away, Relena let out a breath. "I was a little worried about being caught. Or looking underage."
Her dear friend had never been to a pub. Never ate chicken wings with bare hands. Never had a taste of beer. And, as Hilde just found out, had apparently never gotten hit on either.
Not expecting to be called out, Relena had turned a panicked look towards her in front of the bar counter. She recovered relatively quickly, assuming a distantly friendly demeanor, not knowing that it could be taken the wrong way.
Hilde learned firsthand that it was much harder to extricate themselves from unwanted advances while remaining polite. It was simpler to shoot down catcalls or anything of the nature with cold ignorance. That, or a pepper spray. Since her friend couldn't carry around a gun, she would need a way to take care of herself.
Just to signal that she was not at all familiar with that kind of encounter, Relena sent her a thankful smile. "I think the disguise is working."
No wonder Agent Yuy was very vigilant around her. Guess the overprotectiveness was somewhat warranted.
His saving grace was the arrival of the girls.
Heero had the civility to call a temporary truce. He rose to his feet, ushering Relena to take the inside seat.
While she slid back into their booth, he stood up straighter, shooting the counter a look. Duo didn't have to turn around to know that whatever intent, notions, or false hope any of those guys harbored had been utterly annihilated.
The zero one pilot's regular scowl was menacing enough. That same Heero Yuy, in full-on, vicious glower? It was the stuff nightmares were made of. A flaming, breathing dark mass of terror. Harbinger of doom and devastation.
Those uninitiated, they hadn't got a prayer.
Welp, Duo had no charity left to spare.
"You girls took so long, we were about to order without you."
"That would have been all right," Relena replied. "Sorry for the wait."
Lifting the oddly spread-out napkin off the table and crumpling it, Hilde explained, "There was a line in the washroom. And we got stopped on our way back."
"Uh-huh." Something in Duo's tone made Hilde look up. "Making new friends?"
"Just a brief chat," Relena said conversationally, putting the salt and pepper shakers back into its proper place. "It is probably not surprising considering the pub name, but there are some Irish among the customers. Speaking of which, do I look like one?"
Duo shrugged. "The hair, maybe."
"I don't think the guy is actually Irish," Hilde added. To Duo, she frankly stated, "We were getting hit on."
Uh-oh, that gleam in his eyes didn't bode well.
Right as she predicted, Duo sent her an exaggerated hurt look.
Hilde saw him turned to Relena, across the table. Her friend made swiping motions with one hand to wave it off, smiling, ready to mediate between herself and Duo.
"Uh-huh," he repeated, sending a very intentional side look. "We could see that from here."
Heero's face turned extra stony. Hilde nudged Duo's foot under the table. She could tell her boyfriend was inwardly grinning.
They watched Relena's smile slip. She turned to Heero, giving him a quick headshake.
Duo nudged Hilde back, grinning in earnest. She gave him a half-amused, half-reluctant smile.
"We heard that there will be a big party on Monday. For St Patrick's day."
"That's wonderful," Relena commented. "I didn't know it is celebrated in the colony, too."
The pub was actually busier than usual, despite it being a Sunday night. The biggest weekend crowds typically gathered on Friday and Saturday night. The early celebration had drawn more than just the regular patrons.
Having finally gotten some grub and drink in his stomach, Duo leaned back in his seat. "One of my favorite saints, him, not the least 'cause of the association to booze."
"Don't blaspheme," Hilde chided.
"I said that with the utmost veneration," Duo returned. He watched Relena took a cautious sip from her pint. "How are ya liking your beer, princess?"
"You know," she lowered the glass, a slow smile spreading on her lips. "I think I finally found the one."
Upon hearing that it was Relena's very first time trying beer, they had ordered a sampler for her. A set of four assorted beers, in smaller glasses. Duo and Hilde played sommelier, choosing a lager, a pale ale, an IPA, and a rosé beer. Appraising them in turn, she liked the lager most, the IPA least.
Even the lager, she only moderately took to it. Beer might not be for her, she had thought.
But then Hilde saw something on the drink menu. She eagerly pointed it out to Relena, insisting, "You have to try this one."
Hearing the name of the beer, she cracked up and gave her consent. "I suppose I must."
"I'm completely lost," Duo complained. "I am all for you ladies ordering more. Can someone tell me what's what?"
The girls had taken turns to explain. Hilde's recommendation, the 'blacksmith' was an Irish drink, a combination of two different beers from the same producer. A red ale topped with a dry stout. The name of the drink coincidentally matched the surname Relena had picked as her alias. She was a Schmidt now, Relena said. It was a common enough surname, equivalent to Smith in the English-speaking world. Tracing the same Anglo-Saxon roots, the original German word 'Schmied' shared the same meaning.
They only ordered it for laugh. Yet to everyone's surprise, including Relena herself, it turned out to be her favorite. She loved the dark stout.
Asked why, she answered, "Because of the taste, I think. Less bubbly, more smooth. It is… velvety? A little sweet."
"Huh. You have a bolder taste than I thought," Duo responded.
"Yeah," Hilde said. "I was so sure you'd like the rosé one."
Relena laughed. "Because of the color? It's nice too, but a touch too sour."
Getting a kick out of it, Duo started making jokes about how it was as much Heero's drink as it was hers.
"I see what you mean," Hilde said. "The shirts?"
A happenstance. The drink, presented unmixed, was two-toned: a rich ruby color deepening into burgundy, almost obsidian black. Relena and Heero had respectively red and black shirts on.
"I was talking about the names." Duo gestured, "We've got a mister Black over here."
It was a few seconds before they caught what he meant. Heero's alias was yet another common surname, which coincidentally fit the drink's handle as well. It was hilarious how the drink mirrored their respective guises. A 'blacksmith' indeed.
Duo wasn't done with his teasing. "Now, what did you say about the taste again? Dark and strong and a little sweet?"
She was most definitely not going to repeat any of what was said and done. Especially if it was going to be taken out of context.
"Only that it happens to suit my preference," Relena lightly answered, decidedly not looking to her side.
Changing the topic, she asked what her friends liked in return.
Duo liked craft beers. The beer-y beer. The more hoppy, he told her, the better.
Hilde liked flavored beers, continually on the hunt for new variety. Her love for that weekend was ginger, she said with a saucy wink. Relena giggled, toasting her long lost, weekend-only cousin with a 'prost'.
Heero didn't have a preference. None of Duo's, Hilde's, and Relena's recommendation had gotten more than a brief pause, followed by a flat 'it is fine'.
Although it was Relena's first time trying beer, it was not her first time drinking alcohol. The regulation was more lax in the European continent. Down there, anyone sixteen or older could consume alcoholic beverage when accompanied by an adult. She had occasionally had a glass or two, mostly in social settings. By her own admission, she was a lightweight, particularly compared to everyone else on the table.
They played a game, guessing which alcoholic drink was Relena's first.
"Wine," Hilde quickly said.
"Good guess, but no."
"Champagne," Heero threw in.
"Oooh!" Duo and Hilde chorused. They were sure it was the right answer.
Heero looked at her expectantly. Relena looked back playfully. "No."
"No way!" Duo exclaimed. "Hard liquor?"
She raised an eyebrow at him. "No, as well."
"It doesn't have to be neat," Duo argued. "Cocktails count too."
She chuckled. "That is a very broad answer… but I'll take it. Still no."
Duo slumped his shoulders. "Okay, I give. What is it?"
"It was amazake." She launched into a short explanation of the Japanese drink. "It is made from rice. Very low alcohol. Mild, sweet taste."
"Ah," Hilde commented. "You like sweet things."
She nodded. "I think you'll like it too, Hilde."
"It is for kids," Heero said.
"All ages," Relena corrected, smiling. "Let's just say that I had my introduction to alcohol early."
"I'd never have guessed that," Duo said. "Now what I wanna know is, have you had hard liquor?"
"In mixed beverages. Hot toddy. Eggnog."
Duo pulled a face. "C'mon missy. You are of age now."
Relena laughed. Hilde defended her, "You say that, but you like eggnog too."
"Well I do! I'm just sayin' we can be more adventurous than that." Looking at Relena in the eye, Duo called out, "Next time, we are doing shots."
She returned the dare with a sweetly mischievous smile, turning to look at Heero.
"Wait," Duo quickly backpedaled. "Not that kind of shots!"
A strain of music floated across the room.
Absently wiping the lipstick stain off her glass with her thumb, Relena looked around the pub.
"Oh, they have live music."
They watched, more listened to, the musicians setting up for the session. One sleek blonde-haired lady adjusted the strings, played a lilting, short tune with her fiddle. The Irish Bouzouki strummed at the hands of a bearded instrumentalist, letting out beautiful, lush, open chords. The Bodhrán player took out a set of tippers, testing them, shaking the two-headed beater back and forth to play a beat on the drum. The airy melody from the flute was distinctly Celtic, rolling like a sine wave.
"This is the main attraction." Appreciation tinged Relena's voice.
"Right on," Duo said. Hilde had said Relena would like it, and she was right. "You were curious why that spot was empty, right? How the tables are set apart wide?"
She nodded.
"That, is the dance floor."
Relena was surprised to find that the band didn't play traditional Irish songs. Instead, they remixed popular songs that people stream this age, turning it into Irish jigs.
They opened with a slow aire. The band was full instrumental, with no vocalist. Relena didn't even realize it was a pop song until Hilde started to sing along. "…cause you said forever now I drive alone past your street."
The following song was more upbeat, made for dancing. A few people jumped on it. They hit the refrain, which was both very Irish and very modern at the same time.
You want me, I want you baby.
The flute led the tunes.
…the milky way, we are renegading.
A double clap.
I got you, moonlight, you're my starlight…
The flute vibrated and fluctuated in a shimmery variation of pitch. More people crowded the floor.
I need you, all night. Come on, dance with me.
Everyone in the room clapped along the march, the dembow rhythm, on the first and third beats. There were loud cheers when the song and the dancing concluded.
Some people stepped out, some people stepped in, and another song started. It was faster than the first two. A slide. Twelve eight, perhaps.
"Come on, babe. This is my fave."
"I don't think we should leave Miss, Lena alone."
"I'm fine!" she raised her voice to get above the noise. "Go, go."
Duo was already on his feet, one hand on Hilde's wrist. At Relena's urging, and Heero's nod, she let her boyfriend pull her onto the dance floor.
It had gotten too loud to talk.
Heero had stood up, letting Relena scoot to the edge of their seat, getting a better view outside of their booth. Leaning back onto the wall, he watched her enjoying the music, clapping at the right timing and tapping one foot along the beat.
Spotting Duo's and Hilde's backs, barely visible amidst the crush, he had asked if she wanted to go with them.
"It is crowded," she laughed, the sound barely carrying over the hubbub. "And I don't know how to dance a jig."
Relena danced on a fairly regular basis: social, ballroom dances. They had a class at the academy. One time, back then, they had danced together. She was good with rhythm, she could learn fast.
The dance floor was indeed packed with people. But he had seen a few other people stood up around their tables, doing a more stationary version of the dance. Some hopping, some spinning, without the twirling or the promenade steps.
She could do that, if she wanted to.
She closed her eyes, swaying lightly to the music. She turned to him with a smile, and he felt a tug in his chest.
He could do that with her, if she wanted to.
He wondered if she actually liked dancing. He would have to ask her another time.
The bar owner was an excellent businessman. Knowing there was a demand for it around St Patrick's Day, he had set up a corner selling cheap and cheerful accessories.
Having raided the vendor, Duo and Hilde went back to their booth in a very festive mood. All out of breath, eager to share some of the verdant spirit with their less privileged friends.
Duo flopped a sparkly, tall topper on Heero's head. His subsequent attempt to loop a polka-dot shamrock tie onto Heero's neck got his hands snagged into tight, crushing grips.
The two men pushed against each other. Duo in a half-grin, half-grimace. Heero glaring daggers from under his new green hat, ready to shred the innocent accessories into pieces, lighting them up in a bonfire. His unfortunate self included, likely.
Relena intervened, saving his limbs from permanently cut circulation.
"So that's a no to the tie," Duo drawled, to Hilde's heavenward, despairing gaze. "Suits me just fine."
It was significantly less scary, being glared at by one Heero Yuy with the dove of peace on his side. With the maybe-not-quite-hundred-percent-but-close-enough guarantee that one wouldn't get brutally maimed, mangled, and/or murdered, it was almost a fun challenge, pressing the perfect soldier's buttons. One Duo found himself relishing in.
It paid off, being in her majesty's good grace.
Stick around, princess, Duo thought. You are a good influence.
Hilde had given Relena a similar baptism, wreathing her neck with a beaded plastic necklace, pinning a headband into her hair. The tiny leprechaun hat perched jauntily on one side.
Duo grinned broadly, donning an even more preposterous wide-brimmed bucket hat, proclaiming that now they all matched. Hilde, resplendent in sequined ribbons, agreed.
Heero thought they all looked ridiculous, resisting the urge to fidget with his own hat.
Relena wasn't of much help, either. Her 'you look good in green' should be a compliment. Except the extra dose of mirth dancing in her eyes wasn't quite ego boosting. Well, as long as she was happy.
He drew the line at wearing the silly hat outside the bar, though. Duo had no such reservation, jaunting out of the door fully draped in greeneries.
The ladies were more prudent, keeping only one or two less eye-catching accessories on.
There was still some walk to the hotel after all.
Nights, in the colony, were hot.
Relena knew that temperature and gravity were evenly applied throughout the colonies. In the closed, balanced, self-sustaining ecospheres, there was no scorching hot sun at noon nor chilly gusts of wind at twilight. Like in the tropics, the climate was always temperate, the breezes zephyr.
It was not suffocating, no. The hour was late, there were fewer people on the well-lit street. But it was still more balmy than what she was used to.
She somewhat missed the cold breath of fresh air. Especially now, after a night of drinking. Not that she was feeling drunk. The short distance to their hotel was perfectly manageable.
It was more reasonable to walk than calling a cab. Faster too. It should help with digestion, and a bit of sobering up. A sound enough argument to her.
If she felt the barest hint of lightheadedness, it didn't impair her ability to walk straight. Totally not.
Just when she thought of that, the manhole cover she stepped on wobbled. Her ankle buckled under her. Before she could flail about, an arm snatched hers. Another arm went to circle her waist, setting her straight… and cleanly lifting her off the sidewalk.
A flash of memory sent her heart racing in her chest.
"No, no," she blurted frantically. "I really can walk myself."
Relena shook her head, silently pleading. She might not be as well coordinated as she thought. But an ascetic could stumble over a pothole too, surely.
Not feeling very eloquent at the moment, she settled on an empathetic, "Please."
Don't carry me.
His grip loosened, and she fell back onto him with a relieved breath. She could feel her feet on the ground again.
When she looked up, there was that same unconvinced look on Heero's face. She smiled meekly.
Tilting his head to one side, he raised his arm in a silent offer.
That, she had no qualms to accept. She rested her elbow on his, finally breathing out her thanks.
Behind them, there was another couple walking side by side. There were matching expressions on their faces. One of complete, utter disbelief.
Hilde recovered first, digging her boyfriend in the ribs. "Mouth."
Duo blinked and stopped gaping. "…did you see that?"
"Uh-huh," she replied, shaking her head.
Someone, Hilde thought, needed to redefine 'friendship'. Hugging on the street, looking into each other's eyes, and casually linking arms like that surely did not belong to the category of platonic affection.
"She doesn't seem like the touchy-feely type." Duo gave Hilde a strange look. "Neither is he, I'm guessing?"
He gave a muted impression of a joyless laugh. "You have no idea."
"Yew-OUCH!"
Startled by the loud yelp, Heero and Relena stopped and turned back in unison. Still arm-in-arm, heads almost touching, they would have made a romantic picture. If not for the tense apprehension in Heero's eyes and a mildly worried look on Relena's face.
"Nothing!" Hilde quickly covered. "I stepped on his toe."
Following the cue, Duo did a few unrehearsed hops on one foot. Making a production of shaking his non-injured foot, he ran a quick hand over his actual injured arm, offering their friends a real, pained grin.
That was enough to ease off the concerns. With a smile and a nod, the oblivious pair turned and continued their stroll.
Hilde and Duo followed with bated breath, only releasing it after they were a distance away.
"You asked me to pinch you!" she hissed.
"Not that hard!" he whispered back.
Continuing to snoop, they heard the non-couple murmured to each other. They caught snippets of conversation. Something about 'stilettos' and 'emergency exit' and 'combat boots'. Followed by a giggle.
"I think it is the alcohol," Hilde whispered. Probably. Relena was definitely looser than usual.
"Yeah," Duo muttered, trying desperately not to freak out at the sight of a smile tugging the corner of Heero's lips. Did that guy just crack a joke? Or was that his ears deceiving him?
It did not surprise him how close those two were. That, in Duo's mind, had always been obvious. Heck, compared to how they were back then, this was almost normal.
Still, the firmest advocate of the school of stoicism was being affectionate. Or as close to the expression as it was. Openly, to boot. It was scarily surreal.
Blinking a few more times, Duo still couldn't shake the feeling that he was seeing things.
They were all drunk. And had accidentally slipped into an alternate reality.
Pigs would fly tomorrow. The moon would turn to green cheese.
That, at least, would be a little easier to accept.
Perhaps he ought not to watch her strip.
Done securing the front door, Heero headed in to check the rest of the hotel suite. The room was dark, save from the dim illumination of the city night view outside.
Not bothering to turn any lights on, Relena bee-lined towards the bed. She lowered herself onto the comforter, sitting at the foot of the bed.
He went to the ballistic glass windows, scanning, double-checking. A rustling sound made him turn around.
He saw her take off her shoes, tossing off her hat, glasses, necklace, and hairband, precisely in that order, before letting her head fall down, eyes closed, face up.
And the aforementioned thought, it came as the sound of a zipper pull ended in a clink, a little too late.
She, fully laid down on the bed, was none the wiser, continuing to pull her jacket open with one hand. Propping herself up on one elbow, she peeled the sleeves off, discarding the garment to the side. And promptly flopped back down.
She made no further movement after, remaining sprawled out on the bed. Motionless, safe from the gentle rise and fall of her chest. Eyes closed, defenseless and altogether uncaring.
He really ought not to watch her. But it was such a rare occurrence, her acting in abandon. Even in that state, something in her made people look, and he was clearly not immune.
He went to pull the curtains closed, figuring she wouldn't care to look outside the window at that late an hour.
He flicked a switch to turn the headboard backlight on. She still had not stirred.
"You all right?"
"Mm-hmm."
He went still at the voiceless sound. Never had she ever replied that casually.
Three heartbeats later and she rolled to one side, away from the windows, where he stood. One hand reached out towards the jacket. Not quite reaching it, she stretched further, rolling over to her front.
Her hair had come undone from the plaits, tumbling down in waves across her back, against the white bedsheets. The soft light from the headboard brought out the bronze in those tresses. One of her legs hung off the edge of the bed, both feet bare.
Is she going to sleep like that? It looked supremely uncomfortable. Can she breathe that way?
She should get changed at least, he thought, incidentally recalling an earlier perception of her, from last autumn, in a similarly low lighting.
His perfect memory allowed him to recall things with great details.
A picture of her in her nightdress, laying on the bed, came unbidden in his mind's eyes. He quickly turned his head away, before remembering that it was imaginary.
He scrambled to blank out his head, heart beating erratically in his chest.
There had to be something in the security protocol on proper decorum. Some kind of rule for being alone in a room. A bedroom. A closed one.
Finally finding what she was looking for, she pushed to her arms, sitting back up. Still rooted to his spot, he caught light from the display illuminating one side of her face. She swept her hair back with one hand, the other hand unlocking her e-link.
"Is it already that late?" she muttered. "I'd better go wash up."
That jolted him into action. "Of course. I'll clear it, give me a minute."
"Take your time."
He quickly finished scanning the en suite, checking the underside of the sink and the air vents thoroughly.
At his all clear signal, she looked up and smiled. "I'll just be a moment."
In his distraction, he had missed the timing to bid her goodnight. He pulled a chair out of the nearby desk and sat himself on it. For the lack of anything to do, he scanned around the hotel room, eyes landing on the tea and coffee maker kit tucked in one corner.
He stood up, checking the selection. It was nothing to write home about, bagged teas and a few coffee pods, along with packets of sugar, artificial sweetener, and creamer. Bottled water lined up next to empty cups and glasses, with a coffeemaker and an electric kettle rounding up the set.
The kettle was empty, so he opened up one bottle, pouring some water in. He placed it back in its holder, setting it to boil.
The kettle had just switched itself off when the washroom door reopened. She stepped out, fresh-faced, hair pulled back in a headband, feet encased in room slippers.
"There is hot water if you'd like some."
She chuckled. "I don't think I can drink anything anymore."
"There are non-caffeinated options."
She went to join him on the counter, perusing the tea bags. There were a few packets of herbal tea.
"Oh, there is chamomile." Holding the bag with both hands, she smiled up at him. "Have you ever had it?"
He shook his head no. Colored lenses gone, that familiar pair of blue eyes twinkled in response. Smiling, he cut off her next question, "There is only one bag."
She laughed, but that didn't stop her from offering. "You can have it if you want?"
He shook his head again.
"Okay then." She went to set the cup on the saucer, ripping the wrapper open, placing the bag in. He poured hot water in, leaving some room from the brim as she once showed him, careful not to spill a drop.
"Thanks Heero."
He nodded, taking one last look at her. "I should go."
She stepped in to give him a hug. A thank you hug. A goodbye hug. He figured this was more the former than the latter.
"Thank you for putting up with us today."
"It was no hardship at all," he returned. Her shoulders shook with a muffled laugh.
They had hugged before, a number of times, but somehow this felt more intimate. He wasn't sure if it was the short sleeves of the shirt, the v-neck, or the form fitting jeans. Or the presence of a bed nearby, with carelessly discarded articles of clothing on top.
Deciding not to delve further into that thought, he pulled her closer.
Without extra layers of clothing in between, the sensation was markedly different.
She relaxed against him, her soft exhalation close to his ear. He pressed his head to her hair, getting a close-up view of her neck and collarbone. The cheap plastic beads didn't turn her skin green, but the coarse edges had left faint marks.
He wondered if it chafed. There was a thought to run his fingers over the red line. An irrational and insensible impulse, which he grabbed with both hands and promptly strangled to death.
He took a measured breath instead, closing both eyes, focusing on how she felt in his arms. She smelled different tonight, but the feel of her was the same. Warm, welcoming, comforting.
She shifted and he let her go.
Not quite ready to bring himself to leave just yet, he hovered awkwardly.
"The water is still running."
"Yes, I left the tap on." Removing the tea bag from her cup, she sent him a somewhat embarrassed look. "Hilde told me hot water helps with sore feet."
That was… a miscalculation on his part.
Others might be used to be on their feet the whole day, but she was certainly not. They had walked quite a distance these past couple of days. He took note to be more mindful in the future.
On another note, he supposed that was his cue to take his leave. Before any more unforgettable imageries could embed themselves into his brain. He picked up his own jacket from the nearby chair to distract that line of thought, heading to the door.
"Please rest," he said. "Do you want me to wake you up tomorrow?"
She smiled. "I think I can manage. What time do we need to check out?"
"Is seven too early?"
It was almost midnight. With packing and everything that would probably give her five, six hours of sleep.
"Is it too tight if we do eight? I feel bad for Duo and Hilde."
Their… friends were adamant about driving them to the spaceport. With Hilde saying 'we don't know when we will see you again' and Duo commenting 'if I'm doing something I'm gonna do it proper'. It would take time for them to retrieve the van from the pub's overnight parking lot.
He nodded. With the private jet, they had some flexibility. "Eight it is. I'll message Duo."
"Sounds good. Thanks Heero, have a good night."
"Aa. See you in the morning."
He closed the door to her smiling face, letting it fall shut slowly, so as not to make a sound.
Relena woke up to the sensation of a blanket being draped over her.
"Feeling better?"
"Mm," she responded, pressing a button to straighten her chair.
She pressed the heel of one hand to her eye, brushing the other eye with her knuckle, waking herself up.
"How long have I been asleep?"
"A few hours," he said, taking a seat next to her. He must have turned on the autopilot.
Dizziness and bouts of nausea weren't uncommon in a space flight. Especially during that short window of time right after taking off, when the atmospheric pressure changed and the shift to microgravity kicked in. Being a frequent flyer, Relena was familiar with it, and knew how to minimize the discomfort.
That morning, though, a minor case of sleep deprivation, combined with what might or might not be symptoms of a hangover, made it hit a little harder than usual.
Heero, oddly good at picking up this kind of things, had noticed. She had brushed off his offer to take some dimenhydrinate, preferring to simply sleep it off.
The cockpit chairs were, unsurprisingly, not very comfortable for resting. So once the air pressure stabilized and the artificial interior gravity could be turned on, she had removed herself to one of the passenger seats at the back of the plane.
He handed over a silvery vacuum sealed pouch. "Water?"
It really wasn't that bad. He didn't have to check in on her.
The thing was, the more she protested, the less he seemed to believe her. Non verbal assurances tended to work better, so she smiled brightly instead, taking the water pouch. "Thanks."
Placing a hand on the porthole, she pressed a button to adjust the window transparency setting. There were no visible space objects she could recognize, just the vast, distant sea of stars.
"Where are we?"
"Past the L1 cluster." Almost halfway through, then.
She checked her e-link while drinking her water, mentally calculating the estimated arrival time.
"We have gained back the lost hour," Heero commented from the side. "May arrive a little early."
See, he was uncanny like that. He extended one hand, "Trash?"
"Um," she said, handing back the empty pouch. "Thanks."
While he went to dispose the rolled up foil, she took off her silk scrunchie, retying her side ponytail, looking out the porthole.
She turned back to find him looking at her.
"Would you like to get a little shut-eye?" she asked. She didn't think he would accept, but, "I can watch the autopilot."
As expected, he shook his head. "I'll sleep after we get back."
Heero often took the wheel when they were travelling, either by car or plane or shuttle, occasionally taking turns with the other team members. In long distance trips like this, when the autopilot was on, she was curious how he usually killed time. Wasting time surfing the net or watching random vids was highly unlikely.
Knowing him, he was probably getting a head start on the written report. The thought made her smile.
"What are you thinking?"
"Just random thoughts," she replied easily. "Reliability of autopilot. Why the cockpit chair can't be reclined. Random, right?"
"Not thinking about work?"
She laughed. "That, too. This weekend went by so quickly."
Now that she thought about it, it had been a long time since she went on a non work-related trip.
"Thanks for keeping me company. It is wonderful to have a bit of a break."
He smiled a little at that. Looking at him, she had this feeling that the entire getaway was a present. If so, that was very nice of him. Very thoughtful.
Except that he still had not said a word about it.
She leaned back in her seat, watching him. "I think I owe you an apology."
"What for?"
"This." She lifted her wrist.
"This is not a regular tracker, is it?" He shook his head no. "Is this my birthday present?"
He paused, looking a little unsure.
After a brief moment, he stood up, opened a compartment, and took out a box. Handing it over, he said, "Happy birthday."
Inside was another band for the wearable e-link. A gorjana bracelet, in rose gold. It matched the pale pink silicone band she was currently wearing. One meant for casual use, one for evening wear.
In retrospect, the color should have clued her in. She smiled to herself. He couldn't give her a birthday gift the normal way, could he?
"It is lovely. Thank you Heero." Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "When were you going to tell me?"
"I thought about it," he replied. "Didn't know it was bad to celebrate early."
Oh, so it weighed on his mind.
"It's really not like that," she assured him. "Truly."
Since he still looked doubtful, Relena set the box down on her lap. She raised both hands up. Pressing the thumbs in, she declared, "Null and void. Tell me again next month?"
That eased out the tension from his mouth. Heero nodded.
She smiled.
"You know, I really had no idea," she said relaxedly, closing the box. She honestly thought it was a loaner, an additional safety measure for the trip. "I was about to return this to you."
That would have made the conversation several times more awkward. She owed Hilde a heartfelt thanks.
He went quiet for some time beside her, before responding, "The tracking feature can be turned off."
She sputtered, remembering how she tried to weasel out of wearing a tracker. Now he was telling her that?
"In power saver mode, the battery will last longer. A week," he added, addressing one of her rather unfeeling comments prior. In the face of how much thought he put into the gift, she felt awfully sorry for nitpicking. But really, how was she supposed to know?
She shook her head, smiling. "I see. That's great… Anything else you haven't told me?"
"Let me borrow that for a second."
He slid a lever to release the hinge lock and raised the armrest out of the way, sitting a little closer. Holding the box with one hand, he lifted the top, revealing a space underneath, where the resizing tool and extra links for the bracelet were stored.
"I think I got the measurement right. But if it is too tight, let me know."
Rather than the hidden compartment, she was more surprised that he knew the size of her wrist.
Weak with laughter, she lowered her head onto his shoulder.
It had been said before, but it bore repeating. "Heero, you left too many things unsaid."
AC 198 March, a few days later
The bell rang, followed by some knocking.
"Yes?"
"Peacemillion auto? You've got a package."
Hilde signed the e-receipt and closed the door behind her.
"Who was that?"
"The delivery guy."
"Yeah? A mail order?"
"I don't think so," she said. "It is from Earth. Germany. I don't think my family ever sent us anything…"
Looking more alert, Duo extended a hand. "Give me a sec."
After a brief scan, he handed it back. "Looks fine to me. Want to open it?"
Hilde nodded.
They both smiled upon seeing the content. "Your cousin sent a gift."
Hilde shook her head. "I told her she could just keep it."
Inside the box were the clothes she had lent Relena. The jeans, the shirt, and the black hoodie jacket, dry cleaned and neatly packaged.
There was an envelope attached, containing a card and a restaurant voucher. On the card was a simple 'thank you', written in block letters. Underneath, there was a cursive post script 'dinner is on us'.
There was no name or signature, but they could guess from the handwritings.
Duo lifted the card up, waving it. "Who sends handwritten thank you notes these days? She even got our guy to write on it."
"It is a very nice gesture," Hilde said. "Should we send something back?"
"Just text her." Duo sent her an uncharacteristically somber look. "Packages are a bit of a problem."
Recalling the security measures, Hilde nodded. "I'm going to take a picture."
"Uh-huh," Duo replied, checking the voucher over her shoulder. "Thank 'em for me too. Isn't this the place you were telling me about?"
Hilde lifted an eyebrow. "So you do listen."
"Hey! Give me a little credit here," Duo said, raising both hands up. "So you told her too, eh?"
"I don't remember. I might have," Hilde replied, typing in her link. She hit the sent button. "She really doesn't have to."
He shrugged. "You know her."
"I guess." She put down her link, taking the plastic wraps off the clothes. "Jeans worn by the Princess. I don't think I can wear it again."
Duo grinned. "Nope, don't think you will."
She gave him a sly, conspiratorial look. "Do you think it will fetch a good price on the market?"
He laughed. "Lemme think for a minute… Nah. Not worth the price of our heads, babe."
Hilde grinned back. "I'm sure Miss, I mean, Lena won't mind."
"Still can't say her name casually?"
She gave him an obvious look. "Well."
He crossed both arms, profoundly said, "There's a saying if you've seen someone drunk, you are their best friend."
"She wasn't drunk, just tipsy."
"Same thing."
Hilde thought about it. Best friends, somehow, didn't quite fit.
"She is very nice, friendly." They could talk for hours. Laughed and joked around. But.
"I know," Duo put an arm around her. "She's different. Than us. Easy to forget but it kinda shows."
"Yeah," Hilde leaned into him. "I get why you call her with that nickname. Princess. Guess in my head I always see her like that, too."
Someone to admire, to protect, whom she happened to like very much as well.
"She'll be sad if she knows."
"I know," she sighed. "I should practice."
Duo grinned, making a loud finger snap with his free hand. "Quick! Say it three times fast."
She laughed, playing along. "Lena, Lena, Lena."
That got her a round of enthusiastic applause. She shook her head at him.
"They make a cute couple."
"The cutest," he agreed.
"She denies it though." Hilde gave him a disbelieving look. At his dry smirk, she asked, "He as well?"
"Denial," Duo said, lifting both hands up, widening them for emphasis. "Is a long, long, looong river."
Hilde chuckled. Duo had badgered, intimated, and maneuvered around the pair. So much so, that neither Relena nor Heero bothered to correct him anymore. "Don't tease them too much."
Lifting both eyebrows, he replied, "Can't help it. Did you see his reactions? Priceless."
"Nah," Hilde said, echoing his earlier comment. "Not worth the price of your head, babe."
Words don't have the power to hurt you, unless that person meant more to you than you are willing to confess. — Shannon L. Alder
A/N: There is this word 'adynaton' that insinuates a complete impossibility. Some English phrases that may sound familiar are 'when pigs fly' and 'when the sun rises from the west'. The Japanese one 石に花咲く (shi ni hana saku) – 'a flower blooms on a stone' – is poetically ironic. In French, the same idea is conveyed by the phrase 'quand les poules auront des dents' which means 'when chickens have teeth'. I imagine this is more an egg tooth, which a soon-to-be-hatched chick uses to break through its eggshell. Our stone, I daresay, already cracked. Think our chick is growing tooth yet? At this rate though, mushrooms will grow on me sooner…