Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Theories of Revolution and Affairs of the Heart ❯ Girls' Night In ( Chapter 19 )

"Yes. Yes, yes, I know. Of course, Pargan. Yes, I'm fine. YES! Yes, yes. Right. Uh-huh. Okay. Sure. Just don't tell Dorothy. Why? Because I don't want her to know I'm here! Just do it! Right, okay, yes. YES, Pargan. GOODBYE, Pargan." Relena hung up the phone, thoroughly frustrated. The butler was trying to convince her that Dorothy should be notified of Relena's whereabouts. Relena would have none of it.

Hearing a knock on the door, Relena opened it, smiling at the pizza delivery boy and paying him, adding a generous tip. Hilde was at the store, giving Relena perfect time to prepare. Not having wanted to go back to Dorothy and her endless scrutiny, Hilde had understood and offered her a place to stay, at least for a while. Now Relena wanted to thank the other girl, and what better than pizza and a movie? Hilde would hate something fancy, no matter how partial she herself may be to fancy dinners and flowing ball gowns.

Putting the pizza on the table, Relena looked herself over in the middle one last time. Hair in a ponytail, a button-down deep crimson shirt tucked loosely into faded blue jeans. She felt strange, but it definitely radiated a casual atmosphere. Now all she had to do was sit at the table and wait.

Almost immediately, a testament to her timing, Hilde walked through the back door. "Do I smell pizza?"

"You do!" Relena called. "Pepperoni, no less!"

Hilde followed the sound of Relena's voice into the living room, "You're a doll." She stopped and blinked when she saw Relena. "I like the wardrobe change."

"I'm not crazy about it, but thanks," Relena said, looking down at herself again. She extended a well-manicured hand to the cheap cardboard box. "Pizza?"

"Yes, please, I'm starved." Hilde snagged a piece from the box, flopping onto the couch beside Relena and taking a bite. "Mmmmm, I love pizza."

Relena grinned. "Most mortals do." She took her own piece, biting into it delicately as to not spill sauce or grease on her shirt. "So how was the store?"

Hilde smiled back. "Pretty good. We just filled a large order, so we'll need to scavenge some more, but a big sale always helps the bottom line." She felt a little odd, discussing money with the former Queen of the World.

"Good luck," Relena said, not really able to add to the conversation topic. "Oh, by the way," came after another swallow of pizza, "I rented a few movies, if you're interested."

Hilde finished off her slice and nibbled on the crust. "Sounds great." She grabbed a soda from the table and took a long sip. "Why don't you stick one in?"

Nodding, Relena looked at the stack of movies. "Eeny meeny miny that one," she said, pointing to the middle movie. Picking it up and inspecting it, she found it to be an oldie, 'Chasing Amy.' Shrugging, she held it out to Hilde. "Sound good?"

Hilde shrugged. "Works for me." She settled onto the couch with another piece of pizza.

Relena fast-forwarded through the opening credits, leaning back again when the TV announced that it was now time for the feature presentation. She rolled her eyes slightly at the announcer's cheesy voice, but said nothing about it.

Hilde giggled, snuggling back into the cushions, settling in to enjoy. "So what's it about?"

"No idea. The guy at the video store said it was great for a, quote, girls' night out. So it must be funny, or at least fun." Relena shrugged. "Shh, it's starting."

"Chasing Amy?" The movie opened, and Hilde laughed at the trials and tribulations of the cartoonist.

Relena snickered. "Tracer," she muttered amusedly. Despite herself, she moved over slightly and leaned on Hilde, deciding it was more comfortable and friendly than a pillow.

Hilde shifted slightly to make it easier for Relena to lean against her, chuckling at the movie. It seemed perfectly natural to curl up together on the couch, so she thought nothing of it.

They remained like that for awhile. Until, of course, it was discovered that the girl in the movie was a lesbian. Staring at the screen in shock, Relena muttered, "Why must I be reminded of Heero and Duo EVERYWHERE I go and EVERYTHING I do?!"

"Because the world's not fair, Lena, just enjoy the movie." Hilde snickered.

Sighing slightly, Relena nodded and reached a hand over, taking Hilde's loose hand into a casual hold, sipping at her soda with the other hand.

Hilde blinked in surprise, but focused her eyes on the movie and let Relena hold her hand. But her mind was focused on the surprisingly pleasant sensation of cuddling and holding hands with Lena. It was almost as if she thought that if she moved or spoke, the moment would be gone.

'What exactly am I doing?' She didn't quite know and she didn't quite care. What mattered was that she felt good, better than she had for a long time. Suddenly, Heero didn't matter... at least not quite as much as usual.

Hilde was able to happily enjoy without acknowledging until a scene in the movie started discussing how women had sex. A frisson of awareness shot through her, and she was suddenly, almost painfully aware of Relena cuddled against her, the warmth of her hand, her soft breaths. Hilde swallowed, but didn't let go.

The same awareness came to Relena, but she took action on what she regarded as a positive feeling. Leaning over, she kissed Hilde on the cheek, blushing slightly and immediately sliding back into her place on the couch.

A blush spread across her face, and Hilde turned to look at her. "Lena?"

'Go for the simplest response.' "Hmm?" Relena pretended to absorb herself in the contents of her cola can. Thrilling, she was sure.

Hilde reached out with her free hand and tilted Relena's face up so that she could see her face. "Why'd you do that?"

'Good question.' "Well... I don't know, I mean..." She cracked a weak smile. "I've had such trouble with men," she joked, still looking around the room, only casting an occasional glance at Hilde. "And you... I mean, I really... you're really..."

Hilde smiled, amused. "I'm what?"

"Likable? Enjoyable to be in the company of? Friendly? Um... hell, I don't know!" Relena blurted, flustered and regretting her action with every passing second.

"You, too, princess." Hilde leaned over and brushed the faintest of kisses across her lips and leaned back.

Relena blinked, turning almost as red as her shirt before the blush faded to a watercolor stain of pink. "Hilde...?"

"Hmm?" Hilde looked up from her contemplation of their clasped hands.

"Does this make me gay?" Relena giggled after saying the words, not believing they'd actually left her mouth.

She shrugged. "No, I think it just makes us natural."

Relena smiled. "Works for me." Resting her head on Hilde's shoulder, she settled in to snuggle, movie forgotten. 'Screw Heero. Or... maybe that's Duo's job?' Giggling again, she closed her eyes, glad to finally be happy with a good... friend?... and to be somewhere far, far away from Dorothy.

~OWARI~