Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ What Matters Most ❯ Secrets Revealed ( Chapter 6 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Lady Sapphire 
"Well, that was about as refreshing as diving into a pool with no water."
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 05.04.2002 | Updated On: 05.05.2002 | Pages: 4 | Words: 10.4K | Visits: 228 | Status: Work In Progress
"Well, that was about as refreshing as diving into a pool with no water."
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 05.04.2002 | Updated On: 05.05.2002 | Pages: 4 | Words: 10.4K | Visits: 228 | Status: Work In Progress
What Matters Most
By: Lady Sapphire
*~*~*
As the young woman walked absent-mindedly in the hall, she nervously played with her hair. Twisting and curling the golden strands like a sponge, her brain was so confused. 'Why does he want me to have breakfast with him? Did I make the right decision by going? I have never been outside the mansion walls ever since I entered. How am I supposed to act when I'm out in public with a Master? Do I act differently? What am I going to do?' Relena worried all the way to her room where she washed up all the dirt and soil on her hands and brushed out her hair so that it looked neater. Clothes were another issue. She had to dress not to elaborative so that she looked like the equal of her Master and not to shabby so that she wouldn't embarrass her Master in front of the public. After practically tearing her limited wardrobe apart, she finally settled on a fairly new sky-blue sundress that fell down to her knees. It was simple, yet pretty in a sense that it was appropriate for an occasion like this. The azure shade of the outfit brought out the deepness of her eyes. She quickly changed into it and observed herself in a full-length mirror. Satisfied with her image, she went on and tried to figure out what she should do with her hair. In the end, she decided to just keep the ponytail she had on already, but change the ribbon colour so that it matched her dress.
'That should do,' she told herself mentally, but then frowned as she realized something was missing. She pulled open a drawer from the dresser and took out a bag full of cosmetics, from the time she and Hilde had gone shopping. Now, Relena was never one who cared much for make-up. They were just too gunky for her. However, in the worst of times, cosmetics were a lifesaver. Expertly, she applied a very thin layer of eyeliner and very faint blush to enhance her features. She was ready. Grabbing her small purse, she hurried out the door.
*~*~*
Heero checked his watch for the umpteenth time. 'Where the hell is she?' he wondered impatiently. He had told her to meet him outside the main doors after she was ready. 'She wouldn't dare disobey me and skip out on my opportunity,' he assured himself.
Sure enough, not long after the thought had ran through his mind, he could hear footsteps rushing towards the doors and soon he could see the petite figure, present in front of him, but out of breath.
"Sorry… I'm late," panted Relena, straightening out her hair and dress.
Heero simply stood and gawked at her. Was this a dream? She looked so different! Her dress was beautiful, matching her slim physique and pale eyes perfectly. Her hair seemed to glow more brightly up close under the morning sun. Was that make-up? He could hardly tell since it was so light, but it did accent her elegant features.
Remembering that this wasn't a dream and that Relena really was standing in front of him, he regained his composure and led her to his new "Wing Zero" convertible.
"Wow," she whispered unintentionally. Obviously, she had never seen anything like it before. The vehicle was gorgeous for one of its time: white, gleaming, and spotless, with fins sticking out on its back making the car look like it had "wings".
Heero couldn't help but smirk at her expression. The awe was clearly visible in her cerulean eyes. Like the true gentleman he was brought up to be, he opened the door to the passenger seat and escorted Relena to it. Then he helped her put on the seatbelt.
Relena flushed at this interaction.
Heero's smirk grew even wider as he went to the driver's seat. However, he managed to regain neutrality again once he was situated in front of the steering wheel. Pulling down his own seatbelt, he placed the key in its proper place and turned it. The engine ignited and his mission had begun.
*~*~*
Fifteen minutes later, Heero had parked in front of a fancy foreign café. As soon as Relena was out of the car, the first thing she did was to admire the intricately designed building. The exterior of the building was extraordinary. The roofs were composed of transparent windows that let the warm sunlight into the café. The walls were carved with intricate designs of flowers she had never seen before, but nonetheless gorgeous. It was completely surrounded by real flowers of diverse breeds and colours. She had never seen anything like it before! For one thing, there was no way on earth that she could afford such outrageous prices, and for another, why would such an elegantly looking restaurant even think of letting a someone like Relena near within an inch of the place? She began to feel uneasy about this. "Master Heero? I think maybe I should just wait here. I don't really fit in and they'd probably wouldn't want me in there anyway," she said helplessly.
"That's ridiculous. You will accompany me, whether you like it or not," stated Heero, loud and clear.
"But-" she started, but Heero simply walked on to the entrance, ignoring her completely. She shrugged and followed. What good was arguing anyway?
As they walked through the doors, the first thought that ran through Relena's head was how the place looked like the Yuy mansion. The doors were tall with carved pictures and golden doorknobs. Paintings and sculptures were positioned against the wall from end to end. On the floor, a long, regal red carpet stretched from where she stood to all the way on the other side. 'Was all this necessary? For just a restaurant?' she wondered. She was going to inquire Heero about the matter when a server came out to greet them.
"Combien? [How many?]," he asked in a dialect that was totally alien to Relena.
Heero, though, answered him fluently, "Deux. [Two.]"
"Avez-vous des réservations? [Do you have reservations?]"
"Non. [No.]"
Suddenly the tone of the server changed, "Je suis très désolé, mais vous devez avoir une reservation [I'm very sorry, but you must have a reservation]," he said, not sounding very sorry at all. Something in his voice told Relena that he didn't like them very much.
"Is something wrong, Master Heero? We do not have to eat here if you do not want to," she offered, trying to be supportive.
Heero held up a hand to motion that everything was fine. "Allez au directeur. Dites-lui que Heero Yuy veut parler avec lui [Go to the manager. Tell him that Heero Yuy wishes to speak with him]," he commanded, with a slight smirk.
The snobby server stared irritably at him and reluctantly moved from his position and into the manger's office. Ten seconds later, he came scrambling out of the office, scared and panicked, "Je suis très, très, très désolé! Je ne vous avez pas reconnu, Monsieur Yuy. Suivez-moi, s'il vous plaît [I am very, very, very sorry! I did not recognize you, Mr.Yuy. Please, follow me]," he said quickly leading the way to a table. His cheeks were crimson, showing the great embarrassment he had caused upon himself.
Relena, surprised to see the sudden change of attitude, followed too in silence.
He led them to a room that resembled a greenhouse. The walls and ceiling were transparent and around the border were flowers of any species you could think of. Dining tables and chairs were set up all over the place and a few people were already seated and enjoying their meals. Waiters zoomed in and out, serving food, collecting plates, writing bills, and other stuff that waiters did. It was a very busy restaurant. The most inspiring object of the whole scene was the stunning carved marble fountain with the crystalline streams of water flowing from it. Relena loved the feeling the whole scene gave her. It was like visiting a land of fantasy where fairies and enchanted animals lived.
Once they were seated and the annoying server had left, Relena set about getting some questions answered. "Master Heero, how did you-…?" she paused, not knowing how to articulate what she had to say.
However, that was enough for Heero to understand, "My father has very close ties with this restaurant, so my family is highly respected here. I come here the most often though, to be alone. That server must new," he explained coolly.
Relena nodded. So, that's why the server looked so worried after seeing the manager. He was afraid he might have offended their most important customer. "May I ask you something?" she blurted out suddenly. Something was bothering her and she wanted to know the answer.
"You may."
"What language were you speaking just a moment ago?"
"French," he answered simply.
"French. It sounds interesting. I didn't know you could speak French."
"There's a lot that you don't know about me," he replied mysteriously. "But you'll find out in time," he added silently.
Relena pondered at what she had just learned about her oh-so-secretive Master. Fascinated with the idea of a new language she had never heard of, she let her intrigue get the best of her, "Can you teach me French? At least, just one word? Please?" she pleaded, looking up at him with wide, blue eyes and clasping her hands together in a prayer-like manner.
Failing to resist her request, he sighed helplessly and asked for which word she had in mind.
"Umm…I don't know. How about "thank you?"
"Merci," he said clearly, so that Relena could follow along.
"Mer-cy," she repeated slowly.
Heero shook his head, "No, it's merci, not mercy. Soften your "r" by curling your tongue and pronouncing it as if you were preparing to spit. Merci," he instructed.
Relena giggled at the idea of having to spit to be able to speak French. "Mer-cy…mercy…merci! I got it! Merci, Master Heero!" she said delightedly.
Heero smiled and gave a little applaud. "De rien," he replied.
Relena gave him a blank look. "I'm not even gonna go there…" she stated bluntly, although she knew it probably meant "you're welcome". She didn't want to go through all that trouble again. After that experience, she learned that she wasn't one who was very good at learning new languages, but she did wonder, how many languages did her Master know? "Say, do you know any other languages besides English and French?"
"Japanese, my native language," he replied.
"Japanese? That's so amazing! I've always wondered how the Asian languages sounded like. I know they're different from English or French, right? Please, say something in Japanese?" she asked gleefully.
"Like?"
"Anything!"
He was about to speak the Japanese equivalent for "thank you", when an idea struck him. He could use this opportunity to his advantage. "Aishiteru," he said with a sly smile.
"Aishiteru," repeated Relena with ease, "I like it. No hard pronounciation tricks. What does it mean?"
Heero opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a rather large, bubbly, middle-aged man with a thin curled moustache.
"Monsieur Yuy!" he shouted, seeing that his most valued customer had not yet left. He waddled over and offered his hand for a shake.
The second eldest son of the Yuys was not in a very happy mood. Eyes flaring, he reluctantly stood and took the manager's hand and squeezed it extra hard. Thanks to this idiot, his opportunity shattered through thin ice once again.
The manager did not take notice. To him, the source of his client's anger seemed to be targeted towards that new server. "Please accept my most sincere apologies. That imbecile has been taken care of. He will no longer be a nuisance to you," he said carefully, an obvious accent of the French language was apparent.
Heero just glared with all his will power, trying to glare a hole into his head. He made a sound that sounded like a grunt, but you could never tell with Heero Yuy. All he wanted to do right now was to twist the arm he just shook and bend it in half. The tension grew as Heero's famous death glare slowly burned the other man's skin, figuratively speaking. To the manager, who could sense his anger, it felt literal, and he quickly handed them the menus. "Voici les menus [Here are the menus]," he mumbled nervously, and scurried away.
Sitting back down, he turned his attention back to Relena, but surprisingly, she seemed almost frightened too!
"What's the matter?" he asked, trying to sound calm, but to no avail. His query came out more like a snap.
"Nothing…I just thought you could have been a little nicer to both the manager and that server. The manager was just trying to apologize for the server's mistake, which he didn't even know about in the first place! I don't see why you should continue holding a grudge for an honest misunderstanding," she explained thoughtfully.
"Thank you, Relena, for that enlightening speech. Next time, when I want your opinion, I'll ask for it!" he snapped. He couldn't believe that those words just came out of his mouth. She had done nothing wrong, so why was he snapping at her for? It was his temper; he just couldn't control it. He always seemed to get carried away when he was angry and also when he wanted to hide defeat. He cursed himself for his actions and silently prayed that Relena would understand.
Relena didn't protest. She knew that any argument she held would be pointless since the Master always got his way. So, why even bother wasting breath? He will always be a stubborn, hotheaded, spoiled brat. However, she couldn't stay angry with him for very long. There was something about him that just appealed to her in the strangest way.
Heero decided to try changing the subject. "Here's the menu," he informed, handing her one of the laminated boards, "Choose anything you like."
She shook her head, "It doesn't matter to me. Besides, I can't read French anyway."
"It's half in English."
Her cheeks flushed a light shade of pink. "Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you, I can't read English either. I grew up on the streets remember? If I can't even afford to buy food and shelter, then how do you expect me to afford an education?" she clarified matter-of-factly.
Heero paused and thought for a moment. "Do you want me to read it to you?" he offered, in a seemingly sincere voice.
Relena laughed. It was the nicest thing she'd heard from him all day! Sincerity didn't really suit her Master well. "Oh no, thank you! I probably wouldn't understand those fancy names anyway and I don't want to trouble you. It doesn't matter what I eat. Just choose something for me, okay?"
He nodded and called for a waiter to place their orders. Ten minutes later, a platter of fresh pancakes, eggs, coffee, and an orange sat in front of each of them.
Relena stared, astonished by the display in front of her, "But, Master Heero! This is exactly what the kitchen chef prepared for you this morning!" she exclaimed.
"I know," was his simple, yet mysterious reply. Picking up his knife and fork, he started away at his breakfast.
She sighed, knowing she'll never understand the way his mind works. Giving up any further questions, she too picked up the utensils and began to eat.
Taking a sip from his coffee, Heero couldn't help but smile. He had planned to order the same breakfast that was originally meant for him that morning, simply because he felt like eating them. The only reason he took her out to eat was that he needed a reason to get himself and Relena out of the mansion so that distractions wouldn't get in the way. So far, his mission had been unsuccessful, but the morning wasn't over yet. He was determined to complete the task, no matter what it took. Unfortunately, he didn't know it would take so much.
*~*~*
Breakfast was eaten and the bill was paid (a whooping $48.56 plus tips made it well over $50) and after withstanding Relena's lecture on budgeting, Heero had come up with a way to extend their trip. From what he learned in the restaurant, he had thought of the perfect place to take her…the library. It would be a good place to start, actually, because Relena would realize what she was missing when she could not read and besides, he had a few books of his own to return.
It took them a while to locate the car since the parking lot was nearly full. Heero unlocked the door and Relena stepped in, pulling on her own seatbelt this time. Then Heero opened a compartment in the car and took out two books.
"Hold them," he instructed, while going over to the driver's side of the car.
Relena obeyed and held the books protectively; her eyes scanning the front cover longingly. Oh, how she wished she could read these words! Gently, like a fragile antique, she thumbed through the pages, with a wistful look on her face.
Heero couldn't help but smirk. He had expected her reaction to be like this, but he pretended not to notice and started up the car. "Hope you don't mind if we stop by the library to return a few books," he said.
Relena shrugged, "you're the boss."
He winced as her comment indicated that she was still a bit angry with him. They sat in silence as he drove. After a while, Relena sighed deeply. Still gently thumbing through the pages of the books that she held in her hands, she murmured softly, "I wish I knew how to read. I wish I could understand the stories that these pages hold. I do not want to be illiterate anymore, Master Heero, can you please teach me to read?"
Heero had anticipated this request. Nodding, he said, "Alright, I'll teach you, but you have to promise you'll work hard."
"You will? Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise I will work hard!" she cheered excitedly. Without thinking, she flung herself on Heero and gave him a big hug.
Heero smiled, "Now get off, before I change my mind," he threatened jokingly.
She did as she was told, blushing as she just realized what she had done. She mumbled a bleak apology and continued cheering silently to herself.
When they arrived at the library, Heero quickly dropped the books off and returned to the car, where Relena sat eagerly.
"When can we start?" she asked.
"As soon as I figure out where you are. Now, have you learned any reading at all?" he asked.
Relena thought back. "My brother Milliardo, taught me how to read the alphabet when I was younger…does that count?"
Heero nodded idly. "Yes, that will do fine," he confirmed. Then changing the subject, he asked, "Do you miss your brother a lot?"
"Oh yes, I miss him terribly, but he wouldn't want me to miss him. I have to move on," she explained, giving him a weak look. She always seemed so sad and distant whenever the topic of her past came up.
"Where is he now?" he asked sympathetically.
Surprised, Relena blurted out, "At the cemetery of course! At the St. Paul's Church cemetery. Where else would he be?"
"Do you wish to visit him again?" he offered.
Relena looked at him oddly. Did he think that Milliardo could still be alive even though she told him he wasn't? "I guess, if you wouldn't mind, "she said timidly at last.
"Not at all," replied Heero, as he braked the car and drove the opposite direction to the church.
*~*~*
The cemetery was dark, gloomy, and full of secrets. The eerie atmosphere surrounded this home for the spirits of the deceased. Each undisturbed tombstone marked the door of each home where the wandering ghosts rested. The uncanny feeling of the presence of the supernatural was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.
Relena knew exactly where her brother lay, for she had buried his lifeless body with her own two hands. He rested not to far from the entry gates, marked by bare plank of wood that was erected upright to mark the location of the grave. "Oh Milliardo!" she gasped all of a sudden, kneeling in front of the wood. "I have followed your wishes and found a very kind family whom I can work for and they are very kind to me. Please be happy, wherever you are." A tear fell from her eye to the soft soil that lay around the ground.
Heero empathized with her. He knew how it was like to lose a loved one. His eye caught the sight of the wood. Is that the "tombstone" that marked Relena's brother's grave? How would anyone know? It didn't even have written words on it! "Relena, if I may, I would be more than glad to assist you in purchasing a tombstone with a proper memorial for your brother," he asked kindly.
Relena looked at him with an expression of pure joy. No one has ever offered to that for her before. Actually, she hadn't received many gifts throughout her lifetime. Knowing that someone would be kind enough to help not only her, but also her brother too, gave her a deep sense of gratitude. "Oh, would you? That would mean so much to me! Thank you!" she breathed excitedly.
Heero nodded and went to fetch the tombstone engraver. He returned with an elderly man. "Relena, go with this man and give him all the details he ask for and you wish to have on your brother's memorial," he instructed. They left, and Heero was left standing alone in front of where Relena's brother lay. Perfect. Just the way he wanted it. He needed a word with him.
"Milliardo Peacecraft," he began in a sparse whisper, "Your sister is safe with me. All I ask is that you give the assurance that I may stay by her side and protect her from now on. Give me your sister, as my wife and I shall protect her with my life. She is as precious to me, as you are to her, and I would never let any harm come to her. Thank you." He bowed just before Relena and the tombstone engraver returned.
"It will be ready by tomorrow," he said.
Heero nodded his approval and handed him the money. "Come on, Relena, we need to get going now," he informed.
"Hold on a second," she protested, stopping him in his tracks. "Thank you very much, mister. You don't know how much you have helped me," she told the old man.
"Glad to be of service," he replied with a bow and left.
"And Milliardo…" her voice wavered as she turned back to her brother. I'm so happy you now your memory will now be preserved in stone. Please be at peace and at rest. I will always remember you," she whispered, tears brimming to the top of her eyes, but she brushed them away before they could fall. "We can go now, Master Heero."
Heero gazed at her worriedly, and then lead the way to the car. Once seated, Heero took out a tissue and handed it over to her, "People you love will never leave you as long as you still love them. Remember him, and he'll forever remain in your heart," he said, trying to comfort her.
Relena sniffed and gratefully took the offered tissue and wiped away any tears that escaped. Abruptly, a wave of emotion swept through her and she threw herself on Heero in a warm embrace. Unable to contain herself, she let her tears out and sobbed into his chest.
Heero was taken by surprise, but he did not resist. Instead he hugged her back.
"Thank you so much, Master Heero, for everything you've done for me, and all the comfort you gave me when I was sad. I don't know how I'll ever repay you, but I promise you, I will someday," vowed Relena in between sobs. She drew herself closer to his body.
Heero hugged her tighter and absent-mindedly began to stroke her hair. "Shhh… it's all right. You don't have to cry," he murmured soothingly.
Finally, Relena's senses came back to her. She stifled her sobs and broke their hug. "I…I'm sorry, Master Heero. I don't know what came over me. I don't want to bother you," she apologized and sat back in her seat, pulling the seatbelt over her.
Giving one final worried glimpse of her, he did the same.
*~*~*
They sat in silence as Heero drove. He just drove, not knowing exactly where his destination would be, but he knew for sure that he would not be taking her back. He couldn't, not without doing what he had set out to do in the first place. 'Why am I such a fool?' he cursed himself once again. It had been the perfect moment, she was in her arms and he was in hers, if only he had been quick enough to say something constructive! 'Why couldn't I have been more assertive?' he asked himself. Sometimes he hated the way he reacted to certain situations but he just couldn't help it. He had to think of his next move and fast.
"Relena, how would you like it if I take you somewhere so you can relax and get your mind off things?" he offered, desperately trying to extend the trip.
Curiously, Relena looked at him momentarily. 'That's odd…if I hadn't known better, I'd say he was trying to delay this little adventure,' she thought, but shrugged and declared the possibility to be impossible. "That would be a great idea. Where did you have in mind?"
"The beach," he replied.
*~*~*
As Heero pulled the car into an empty parking space, Relena noticed how serene the beach was. The atmosphere, so calm and peaceful and the waves of the ocean could be heard miles away. She took a deep breath and released again slowly so that she could almost taste the purity of the seaside air. "Wow…" she whispered in awe, "So this is how a beach looks like! Where are all the other people?"
"It's too early in the morning for people to be here, and besides it's too cold in the morning. A beach is meant for people to relax, to soak up the sun, and to simply have fun. Most people are probably still sleeping," he answered, turning off the car engine and pocketing the key. "C'mon."
Relena stepped out of the car and stretched her arms. "What a wonderful place the beach is! I feel so free!" she exclaimed openly.
Heero smirked at her pleasure. "I thought you might like it here. I used to come here all the time when I was younger. It gave me time to think by myself. It allowed me to tune out the outside world and enter a world where only I existed," he explained remotely, "It was my escape portal." He moved, walking away from the car so they could start their exploration of the beach. Relena followed beside him.
"Escape? Escape from what?" she asked curiously. This was the first time she had ever heard anything about his past. She was intrigued and wanted to know more about why he is the way he is. "From the mansion; from the pressures of being a son of the most prominent family in the land. You know, Relena, being wealthy isn't always as easy as everyone thinks it is. My father always said, "With great power comes responsibility." I didn't want that responsibility and really considered running away for a while. Then I realized how selfish I was being by thinking of running away without even considering about my family first and how worried they would be if I left. So that's why I'm still here now," he said, almost sadly.
"Good for you! Running away from your problems is never the right answer. You can never run away from them, just like you can't stop the course of day by turning your face away from the light. Still, I don't know why you're complaining so much. Your life couldn't have been any worse than how I grew up," she stated blatantly.
"So we can draw the conclusion that life, no matter who's life, is difficult to live, but that shouldn't stop us from living it, right?"
"Yup! Then we're agreed," she said with a bright smile and a curt nod. She couldn't believe it! She and Heero were actually making conversation and getting along! That was definitely something to rejoice about! But, she couldn't help wondering, why was he turning over a new leaf? Did he want them to be friends? Whatever it was, Relena didn't care. She was just so happy that Heero had opened up to her. Now she could pinpoint the source of his coldness: his solitude. He didn't seem so bad to her anymore. Knowing why he acted this way helped her to understand him. She didn't hate him anymore; in fact, she wanted to be his friend. She wanted to know more about his past, but she didn't want to break the newly formed bond that has just been discovered, so she kept quiet and waited for him to reveal his own secrets.
Heero was surprised at his own ability to be sincere. He had not once yelled or snapped at her since the trip to the cemetery. It was a power he never knew he had in him. He was also shocked that he had actually opened up a bit about himself to her. Never to anyone, not even Duo or the guys, had he ever revealed how he used to feel in the past. 'What is it about this girl that makes him feel so different?' he wondered to himself. "There's something about her that makes me feel like I can tell her anything and trust that she'll keep it safe, but what?' Heero knew it was probably the emotion called "love", but for some strange reason, he didn't hate it. He truly enjoyed Relena's company and was content that they were finally alone together and making progress. To his dismay, this moment of peace wasn't to last much longer…
Since both of them were so wrapped up in their thoughts, neither of them noticed a little girl approaching them. She was scrawny, at least, thinner than the average child, and couldn't be any older than Rosabelle. Her clothes were rags, her face and skin was filthy, and her hair was tangled in a big clump. In her hands, she carried a rusty pail that seemed to contain something.
'This was how Relena looked when she first arrived at our mansion…' thought Heero empathetically.
Relena saw her and smiled warmly. "Why, hello! Who might you be?" she asked kindly.
"I'm Diana," she said timidly, her bright green eyes sparkling at Relena.
Relena kneeled so that she was level with the little girl. "Diana. That's a beautiful name," she commented.
Diana beamed and held out the pail in front of her. They could now clearly see that it contained a bunch of assorted seashells. "Please, Miss, help me. Buy some seashells so that I can help my mommy. She is very sick and I need to take her to the doctor," she begged. Her eyes reflected her innocence.
Relena glanced at her sadly. She could easily relate to Diana. Her situation was almost exactly the same as hers. She opened the small purse she had brought along with her to see how much money she had brought with her. There was only a ten and five dollar bill. "May I ask, how much are you willing to charge for a shell?" she asked.
"Ummm…it doesn't really matter to me as long as I enough money to take my mommy to see the doctor. It's up to you, lady," she answered. Her eyes light up as Relena's question brought hope to her heart.
"Well, in that case, how about a dollar a shell? I'll take fifteen please," she declared, handing over the money to Diana.
Diana stared at the money that was being given to her. It had been so long since anyone bought a shell. There wasn't a need to. Plus, the most that anyone ever bought was one or two shells, but never fifteen shells all at once! This was definitely quite a surprise! "Oh thank you so much!" she squealed with glee, setting the bucket down on the ground in front of Relena, "You may choose the shells you want," she instructed.
"All right," grinned Relena, as she started roaming through the variety of seashells. She was happy to have made a difference in someone else's life.
While she was busy taking one shell out after another, she didn't notice Heero take Diana back some distance so that they could talk without being heard. Then he reached for his wallet and pulled out some money. Lowering his voice, he explained his intentions to the curious, young girl. "I would like to buy all of your shells. This should cover the costs," he whispered, handing over to her a hundred dollars. "Take your mother to a hospital and the rest is for you and your mother to spend as how you wish."
A tear fell from her eyes. She had never been shown this much generosity from anyone in her life! People usually shunned her, thinking she carried some contagious disease or they just ignored her as if she was invisible. However, these two strangers showed more than generosity to her, they showed her kindness and respect, and that was something she knew she would never be able to repay them for. "Thank you so much!" she whispered softly, a wide grin spreading across her face.
"Don't thank me, thank Relena," stated nodding over to the young woman who was still pulling out shells.
Diana quietly looked at him, and then at Relena. She could see it in his eyes…she could see the emotion in his eyes. "You…you love her, don't you?" she asked, shyly.
Heero seemed surprised by her words, but didn't argue her conclusions. He simply nodded.
"Then you should tell her. I'm sure she loves you too."
"I will. Now go and help your mother," he said, trying to avoid any more questions from her.
"Goodbye, and thank you again!" She waved and scurried into the distance.
Heero smiled as a warm feeling overwhelmed his heart. He felt good by doing a good deed for other people. He meandered back to Relena, who was still oblivious to the fact that Heero had just purchased the entire bucket of shells.
"You know, you would take an eternity to choose a shell, so why not just buy the whole bucket?" he asked, pretending nothing has changed.
Relena looked up to face him. "I would if I had brought more money. I'm such and idiot, why didn't I?" she cursed herself. "Hey, where's Diana?" She had just noticed that something was different.
"Gone."
"Gone? What do you mean gone? Doesn't she want her shells back?" she questioned.
"Nope. I bought them all."
Relena stared at him open-mouthed. Did she hear what she thought she heard? "What? You…bought…all?" she stuttered in shock.
"Yeah, so pick them up and let's go."
Relena stared at him for a few more seconds. He never used to donate money to charities or give money to those living on the streets so when did he start? This was something new. She smiled, though, pleased that they were able to help Diana out. "You really do have a good heart, Master Heero, even if you don't show it most of the time. I bet you don't even know you do," she pointed out.
Heero frowned at her comment, "Just don't go blabbing it out to anyone. I have a reputation to keep," he told her sternly. He didn't like being considered as a "kind" person. It made him soft and weak. It just wasn't his style, even though on the inside he was as good as gold.
'Whatever,' thought Relena, disbelieving. Quickly she threw the shells that she had already taken out back into the pail and picked it up by the handle.
They continued their little walk and talk. "So, when did you get so interested in seashells?" Heero questioned. He already knew the answer, but he just wanted to make conversation.
"Well, I'm not really interested in them, but they are nice to look at, don't you think?" she joked, grinning at Heero, but when his mouth didn't even twitch, she let out a big sigh, "It's not me, it's Diana. She reminds me so much of myself. The situation, the circumstances…it's like a reoccurring nightmare. We both had a sick loved one with no money for a doctor and we both sold useless things that could have easily been picked up off the ground by anyone. I had to make this nightmare end. I wanted Diana to have a chance to live and grow up like normal girls do and are supposed to. I wanted to give her a chance to save the life of a loved one," she explained softly, "The chance I never had…" she added, her voice, distant and vague, as if she was reminiscing her own past.
Heero nodded in agreement. He didn't know what to say. He knew of her past, but he didn't know that she held that much passion when the topic came up. He decided to change the subject. "What are you going to do with all those shells?"
She gave him an inward glance. "Well, technically, they're all yours since you paid for all but 15…" she said matter-of-factly.
"Nope, I paid them for you, so now you claim full ownership."
A small laugh escaped her lips. "Well in that case, I don't really know what I'm going to do with them. I guess I can't bring them back, could I?"
Heero shook his head. "Mother would kill me if she saw that mess."
Relena laughed again, harder this time, seeing the truth of his words. The bucket was quite old. Rust and mould grew on its steel covering and who knows what is also in there besides seashells. "No, I guess not. She pondered at the predicament for while, and then an idea came to her. Excitedly, she grabbed Heero's wrist and rushed up closer to the sea, dragging Heero, who was trying to keep up. She stopped at the seashore and reached down to pull of her shoes. Throwing them aside, she carefully stepped into the ocean. It felt good to feel the cool waters flow through her toes.
Heero watched her curiously from dry land, still astonished from her bold move, by dragging him to an unexpected location.
Setting down the bucket, she reached in, pulled out a shell and threw it into the ocean!
"What are you doing?" he asked, looking at her as if she had gone insane. He had paid a hundred dollars for those shells and what does she do with them? She goes and throws them into the damn ocean!
"Throwing seashells into the ocean. What does it look like? Now are you gonna help me or are you just going to stand there?" she said, in a teasing tone of voice. She couldn't help but let out a small giggle at the look of annoyance on his face. She explained her intentions more clearly, "Seashells belong in the ocean. I'm just simply returning what the seas have lost over the years. By doing so, we are also returning the homes of little sea creatures that live and depend on the shell to survive. That way, your purchase won't go to waste because it helps more living things than just Diana." She threw a few more shells.
Heero smiled when her back was turned. Once again, he was shown the bigness of her heart and the foolishness of his own. Taking off his shoes, he stepped into the water and helped her scatter the shells into the ocean. "Who's the kind-hearted one now?" he remarked in an almost teasing fashion. He skipped a shell far into the distance. It was strange, seeing this side of Heero Yuy, and yet, reassuring.
Relena flushed. That little comment affected her in ways he would never know. She rarely received compliments, but she was happy when she did. Of course, she wasn't going to tell anyone, especially not him. Instead she concentrated on sending seashells out to sea.
When the bucket was less than half empty, something that glinted brightly caught Relena's eye. She reached in a pulled out a gorgeous, shiny, light blue shell. One thing was for sure: it was definitely different from the other shells. She wondered why she hadn't noticed it until now. "What a beautiful shell!" she exclaimed, which caught Heero's attention.
He glanced at her and sure enough, the shell in her hands was different from the others.
Relena clasped her hands over the shell and held it close to her chest. Looking up at Heero, she declared, "I'm going to keep this shell as it will be a memory of this wonderful morning you have shared with me. I shall never forget it. It will also be a symbol of out newfound friendship. I hope we will always remain good friends. Carefully, she pocketed her treasure in her purse.
Well, that was about as refreshing as diving into a pool with no water. Was that really how she felt? Did she really want them to be just "friends"? He hoped not, but he had to say what he had to say fast because he was losing his nerve. He told himself to relax and set his sights on his goal.
When the shells were all gone and the bucket was properly disposed of, the two of them attempted to replace their shoes on their feet, but found it quite difficult to get rid of the sand at their feet and toes. Heero, who had managed to get both his shoes on without too much trouble, watched in amusement as Relena hopped up and down, trying to dust off the bottom of her foot, only to accidentally drop it and dirty it again. Heero held out a hand to offer support and she gladly accepted. Leaning on him, Relena finally got both shoes on her feet. Soon they were both ready to move on with the tour of the beach.
Heero decided that it was time. He had to do it soon, since the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like a bad idea. Taking a deep breath, he pushed aside insecurities he still had and began. 'Here goes nothing,' was his final thought. "Relena, there's something I've been meaning to tell you…" he paused.
She looked up at him, "Hmm? Oh yeah, yesterday you wanted to say something to me. I forgot. Well, go ahead now, Master Heero," she said, prodding him forward.
"It's just that…that…" he paused to think of a way to start this, "…that! I do not wish to be your Master anymore."
A panicked look came over Relena's face and Heero knew he had chosen the wrong set of words. 'Damn it!'
He quickly tried to redeem himself though, "No, I don't mean in that way. I mean, I don't want you to call me "Master Heero" anymore. Please, it's Heero."
Relief spread across her face. "Oh, you mean like Rosabelle? You want us to be friends, right. That's very kind of you, Heero," she said, trying out her tongue.
Heero winced, "No, that's not what I meant either. I…" he stumbled, "I want us to be more than just friends." There, he said it. Hopefully, it would be enough for her to get a hint.
He was wrong.
Relena stood, looking bemused. She had a vague idea of what he was trying to say, but had pushed the thought away, proclaiming it to be a misconception. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
Heero sighed mentally. She was making it a lot harder than it actually seemed. He decided that his next plan of action would be to just start from the beginning. "I don't know felt the same way before, but I've felt this strong connection between us ever since we first met on your first day here. It's a really strange feeling and I can't describe it," he said. He growled, desperately trying to articulate his feelings. "It's like I was destined to meet you that day. When our eyes met, it took me every ounce of willpower to break our connection. At first, I tried to ignore my feelings because I didn't know what it was and was scared to tell you. However, they just wouldn't go away and I could feel them grow stronger each day. It developed into so much more," he paused and when he spoke again, his tone of voice became dark, "and then, on that night when Mark tried to…to…touch you…" he hung his head down and stared at the ground, "I couldn't bear it. I just couldn't stand by and watch you get hurt any more. I realized that the feeling that I had so trapped within me was the one called "love". It was then and there when I vowed that I was going to make it my duty to be your protector and protect you from any more harm you may come across. You mean so much more to me, Relena, and I'm not going to let anyone hurt you like that again," he proclaimed strongly. He paused to sigh, "What I'm trying to say is that I want you to stay by my side forever, so that I can protect you. Relena, are you willing to become my wife?" he asked, more confidently than he had expected. He couldn't believe what he had just said. He hadn't planned to ask that at all, it just popped out. But, the damage had been done; he left it to be since it was what he wanted. Now all he had to do was wait for her response.
Relena stopped short. The first thought that came to mind was, 'What the hell?!', as she stared at him in complete confusion and utter shock. Did her ears deceive her? Had she heard correctly? Did Heero Yuy just propose to her? Silence grew between them as Relena, still in a state of surprise, tried to let this sink in.
Heero, noticing her expression, quickly added to his proposal, "But of course, not right away, but after a few years when we're both older. I need your promise, Relena, that you'll be there when the time comes," he explained looking earnestly into her deep azure eyes.
Relena was speechless. Never in her wildest dreams, had she ever imagined that Heero, of all people, to propose to her. Yet, there he was, standing in front of her, anticipating her answer. She didn't know what to say or do. Her voice seemed lost in all this and her mind seemed to fail her as well too. Once she could speak again, and once she had everything straightened out everything within herself, thoughts began to run through her mind as she remembered who she was and whom she was with. This was no ordinary person. He was the son of the Yuys, the most powerful and influential company in the country. How could she possibly compare to that? She took a step back.
"I…I can't. It'll never work out. We live in different worlds that can never mix. How can someone so powerful and wealthy like you marry a common servant? It'll never work out. Besides, you said so yourself, I'm just an "object" of no value. How can someone marry an object?" she asked in an almost cynical way.
Ouch. He knew that his words would come back and bite him someday. "I wasn't in a good mood that day. You se, Relena, I've never been good at expressing my feelings with anyone before, until you came along. The song you sang on the first day, it was so touching that it affected me. I didn't know what the feeling that I felt towards you was called, so that's why I hated you, but know I know, it's love. I was suspicious of you since you had the ability to make me feel so different, so…lost. I was angry when I said that you were just an "object", and I'm sorry. You're not an object, you're a human girl; a living, breathing, beautiful girl whom I love, but the question is, do you love me?"
She stood, taken aback, as she racked her brain for an answer. Did she love him? She really didn't know herself. Sure, she did felt a connection towards him in the beginning, but that couldn't have been love, could it? "I…I don't know," she answered, truthfully, "but…but the Mistress…she'll never allow it," she protested.
"I'm planning to see Father and Mother tomorrow morning. I know my mother very well. She won't turn you down so easily," he assured.
"But…I have nothing to offer you."
"That's not true, you have your love, and that's what counts, even you said so yourself." It was too late, he had accidentally blurted out information she wasn't supposed to know.
Relena frowned. "When have I said that?" she questioned. She didn't recall ever saying that in front of him, only Hilde.
"Er…that doesn't matter. The point is you can offer me your unconditional love and I'll be content with that," he said, trying to cover his mistake.
"I'm not even sure I can give you that…"
"Well, I don't need your answer now. Think about it, I'll be awaiting your reply tomorrow, but now we should be heading back," he said, checking his watch. He turned to leave, but Relena stopped him in his tracks.
"Master Heero?"
"Heero," he corrected, turning his head to face her.
"Why? Why me? Of all the people in the world, why did you choose me?" she asked, with a saddened look on her face.
A loving look came in his eyes. "Because you're you. You're special, Relena, and you know it. Because you were the only one who could affect my emotions so greatly. And lastly, because you understand me."
*~*~*
The ride back was unusually quiet. It was awkward, now that Relena knew of how Heero really felt, for her to sit next to him. She edged as far as possible from him and looked down at her hands in her lap. She couldn't face him, nor did she want to.
Heero concentrated on driving and didn't say anything because he did not want to influence her decision any more than he already had. He did, however, gin to himself, satisfied that he had finally told her the truth. 'Mission complete,' he thought to himself.
Relena soon became deep in thought. 'Why did he have to put me into this situation? He always seems to know how to make my life miserable!' she thought bitterly of the man beside her. 'Marry him? I barely even know him and he expects me to marry him? Sure, I've been working for him for a few months now, but that doesn't mean we know each other well enough to tie the knot. I'm not even sure how I feel about him! One minute he's warm and friendly, and the next, he's as cold as ice! I don't think I can live forever with someone who can change moods wit the snap of a finger. For all I know, he's a spoiled, arrogant, pompous, quick-tempered brat since that's what I get from him ninety percent of the time,' she fumed silently, glaring out the window at the scenery whipping by. The outside world seemed only like a blur at the speed they were going in. Gazing out the window at her own reflection, she watched as her hard, furrowed expression melted away as a memory occurred to her. 'Then again, he really is a kind-hearted person,' she thought of Diana, 'and he did apologize for all the mean things he had said and done."
A smile broadened on her face as her hand absent-mindedly reached up and rested on her cheek. She could still feel his warm touch on her cheek as she remembered the time he applied medication on her cheek after slapping her brutally. Reality snapped her back into place and she quickly withdrew her hand as she fought the urge to blush. It was a good thing she was facing the window, or she wouldn't live down the embarrassment. 'That was so long ago, so why do I still have it stored in my memory? Why can't I forget his touch?' she wondered, frowning to herself. Then the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Of course, that had to be it! The feelings that attracted her to him when they first met and the feeling of warmth and security when she was around him…that was all the evidence she needed. She really was in love with Heero!
Her eyes grew wide in realization as her jaw dropped in surprise. Her face was beet red and she felt hotter than the sun. Suddenly, the trees whipping by became the most interesting things on Earth. 'When did this happen? When did I start falling in love with him? How can I fall in love with him? A servant can not love her Master!' Questions and doubts rolled around her head until it began to hurt.
As they drew nearer to home, she began to calm and relax herself down. She acknowledged the fact that she really was in love. 'I guess Hilde was right; there is such a thing as "love at first sight". I've just been in denial of my feelings this whole time,' she told herself, 'but love isn't the same thing as marriage. Marriage requires much more commitment that I don't think I can handle. Can I become his wife? Should I? Can I promise him a future for us?'
*~*~*
When the car had pulled to a stop at the front of the estate, Relena hastily unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door to leave. She had enough of this and really didn't want to stay with Heero anymore. She wanted to do some thinking alone and plus, her head was hurting. But before she could step entirely out of the convertible, Heero grabbed her wrist and held her back. She whipped around and their eyes met.
"Today, at the restaurant, you asked me what "aishiteru" meant. Now, I'll tell you. It means "I love you" in Japanese, and I wasn't lying then and I'm not lying now. I really do love you, Relena," he said, kissing her hand gently.
A surprised look came over her face, but she didn't resist. For one thing, her body had gone completely numb and weak so she was pretty much defenceless. For another, she liked the feel of his warm lips brushing over her skin. When he released her, she got out of the car and closed the door.
"I'll see you later, then. Goodbye for now, and please consider my proposal," he said and drove of into the distance.
Relena waved. "Goodbye Heero," she whispered to thin air. "Aishiteru…"
*~*~*
By: Lady Sapphire
Author's note: There will be some French in this chapter. The English translations for anyone who doesn't understand French are in "[ ]" brackets. I would also like those who are fluent in french to double check my French. I think my French is good, but still, I would feel better if someone would be so kind to see if the French and the English translations match. I'd like to thank those of you have complimented on how well I've kept Heero's character, even though I don't quite agree, because this is the chapter where he becomes a little OOC, in my opinion anyway. A word of warning, this part is extremely fluffy! I hope you like it!
Chapter 6: Secrets Revealed
Dawn. Heero awoke to the smell of dawn. As he laid thinking, the bright glow of the dancing sunrays penetrated the crystalline windows and slowly crept it's way up the wall. It was a new day, another day to attempt to reveal his true feelings. He sighed helplessly at his failed prior attempts, and reluctantly rose out of bed to freshen up.
After he was washed, combed, and dressed, he found a breakfast tray already set up for him at the table, consisting of pancakes, eggs, coffee, and an orange. He knew that this could have only been the work of his lovely heartthrob, Relena. He instantly recalled yesterday's attempt. He was so close, victory was near…and then the stupid dinner bell rang and spoiled his moment. He sat down on a chair and ran a hand over his thick, wild hair. "I would never eat again if that meant I could have the time to tell her without interruptions," he mumbled to the air. Picking up the fork and knife, he cut a piece of the pancakes and popped it into his mouth. Savouring the taste, an idea suddenly struck him. He stopped eating to formulate a plan. After a minute, he slammed the utensils in his hands onto the table and stood up so fast that his chair fell over. A smirk slowly stretched across his face. He knew exactly how he was going to tell her how he felt! First, he was going to take her away from the mansion, to ensure that no more interruptions would occur. He would take her to a restaurant where they would eat and then after the meal, he would tell her everything. It was a perfect plan! How could anything go wrong?
He sauntered over to the window, because he knew by now that, if Relena weren't in his room this early in the morning doing chores, then she would be out in his mother's flower garden, tending the flowers. And right he was. There she was, in a simple, long, sleeveless, violet dress, hair tied back in a ponytail with a lavender-coloured ribbon. Spraying the flowers with the garden hose, she looked beautiful with her long, honey-blond hair gleaming underneath the rising sun.
Leaning against the cool glass of the window, Heero stood, arms crossed over his chest, gazing at the slim figure. 'She's so gentle and kind. Why would anyone want to harm her?' he thought bitterly of his brother. He sighed. 'That's why. She's too kind and forgiving that it makes her gullible. If only she could stay by my side forever, then I could protect her. If only I had the chance to ask her…' he threw his arms out in frustration. 'All right, today. I'll achieve my goal today, no matter what it takes,' he decided, turning his attention back to the window. Relena was already heading back into the mansion with a bouquet of fresh flowers.
"Good morning, Master Heero," she greeted brightly, stepping into the room a minute later. "I hope you slept well. The Mistress has ordered me to pick a fresh bouquet of flowers for your room. Aren't they lovely?" she asked, showing him the assorted, handpicked flowers.
Flowers disgusted him. He had always hated his mother's flowers, but he never shared his opinions before. He simply put up with them to make her happy.
"Frankly, I think this place needs a little colour, it's so dark," she commented, while filling up a vase with water from the bathroom. "There, finished," she exclaimed, lowering the flowers into the vase. She looked around for an attractive place for the vase to stand. That's when she noticed the plate of nearly untouched food.
"Master Heero? Is there something wrong with the food? I'm so sorry, I'll have your breakfast redone for you," she said, quickly placing the vase on the table, and picking up the plates instead.
"No, that will not be necessary," he spoke up abruptly, "I've planned to eat somewhere else today."
"Oh, that's quite alright. I'll just take these back down to the kitchen then. Have a good time," she said, heading out the door.
He grabbed her shoulder as she was leaving and she froze completely. "I was hoping you would accompany me," he requested in the most sincere manner he could manage.
Relena almost dropped the plates in shock! This was a proposal she had never received before. In fact, she wasn't even sure if this was considered "legal" for someone of her status. "I…I…" she started to refuse his offer, but then something in the back of her mind reminded her that it was futile to go against a Master. Whatever the Master says, goes. Besides, she had never had the chance to visit outside the mansion.
Making up her mind, she bowed slightly and answered, "As you wish."
*~*~*
As the young woman walked absent-mindedly in the hall, she nervously played with her hair. Twisting and curling the golden strands like a sponge, her brain was so confused. 'Why does he want me to have breakfast with him? Did I make the right decision by going? I have never been outside the mansion walls ever since I entered. How am I supposed to act when I'm out in public with a Master? Do I act differently? What am I going to do?' Relena worried all the way to her room where she washed up all the dirt and soil on her hands and brushed out her hair so that it looked neater. Clothes were another issue. She had to dress not to elaborative so that she looked like the equal of her Master and not to shabby so that she wouldn't embarrass her Master in front of the public. After practically tearing her limited wardrobe apart, she finally settled on a fairly new sky-blue sundress that fell down to her knees. It was simple, yet pretty in a sense that it was appropriate for an occasion like this. The azure shade of the outfit brought out the deepness of her eyes. She quickly changed into it and observed herself in a full-length mirror. Satisfied with her image, she went on and tried to figure out what she should do with her hair. In the end, she decided to just keep the ponytail she had on already, but change the ribbon colour so that it matched her dress.
'That should do,' she told herself mentally, but then frowned as she realized something was missing. She pulled open a drawer from the dresser and took out a bag full of cosmetics, from the time she and Hilde had gone shopping. Now, Relena was never one who cared much for make-up. They were just too gunky for her. However, in the worst of times, cosmetics were a lifesaver. Expertly, she applied a very thin layer of eyeliner and very faint blush to enhance her features. She was ready. Grabbing her small purse, she hurried out the door.
*~*~*
Heero checked his watch for the umpteenth time. 'Where the hell is she?' he wondered impatiently. He had told her to meet him outside the main doors after she was ready. 'She wouldn't dare disobey me and skip out on my opportunity,' he assured himself.
Sure enough, not long after the thought had ran through his mind, he could hear footsteps rushing towards the doors and soon he could see the petite figure, present in front of him, but out of breath.
"Sorry… I'm late," panted Relena, straightening out her hair and dress.
Heero simply stood and gawked at her. Was this a dream? She looked so different! Her dress was beautiful, matching her slim physique and pale eyes perfectly. Her hair seemed to glow more brightly up close under the morning sun. Was that make-up? He could hardly tell since it was so light, but it did accent her elegant features.
Remembering that this wasn't a dream and that Relena really was standing in front of him, he regained his composure and led her to his new "Wing Zero" convertible.
"Wow," she whispered unintentionally. Obviously, she had never seen anything like it before. The vehicle was gorgeous for one of its time: white, gleaming, and spotless, with fins sticking out on its back making the car look like it had "wings".
Heero couldn't help but smirk at her expression. The awe was clearly visible in her cerulean eyes. Like the true gentleman he was brought up to be, he opened the door to the passenger seat and escorted Relena to it. Then he helped her put on the seatbelt.
Relena flushed at this interaction.
Heero's smirk grew even wider as he went to the driver's seat. However, he managed to regain neutrality again once he was situated in front of the steering wheel. Pulling down his own seatbelt, he placed the key in its proper place and turned it. The engine ignited and his mission had begun.
*~*~*
Fifteen minutes later, Heero had parked in front of a fancy foreign café. As soon as Relena was out of the car, the first thing she did was to admire the intricately designed building. The exterior of the building was extraordinary. The roofs were composed of transparent windows that let the warm sunlight into the café. The walls were carved with intricate designs of flowers she had never seen before, but nonetheless gorgeous. It was completely surrounded by real flowers of diverse breeds and colours. She had never seen anything like it before! For one thing, there was no way on earth that she could afford such outrageous prices, and for another, why would such an elegantly looking restaurant even think of letting a someone like Relena near within an inch of the place? She began to feel uneasy about this. "Master Heero? I think maybe I should just wait here. I don't really fit in and they'd probably wouldn't want me in there anyway," she said helplessly.
"That's ridiculous. You will accompany me, whether you like it or not," stated Heero, loud and clear.
"But-" she started, but Heero simply walked on to the entrance, ignoring her completely. She shrugged and followed. What good was arguing anyway?
As they walked through the doors, the first thought that ran through Relena's head was how the place looked like the Yuy mansion. The doors were tall with carved pictures and golden doorknobs. Paintings and sculptures were positioned against the wall from end to end. On the floor, a long, regal red carpet stretched from where she stood to all the way on the other side. 'Was all this necessary? For just a restaurant?' she wondered. She was going to inquire Heero about the matter when a server came out to greet them.
"Combien? [How many?]," he asked in a dialect that was totally alien to Relena.
Heero, though, answered him fluently, "Deux. [Two.]"
"Avez-vous des réservations? [Do you have reservations?]"
"Non. [No.]"
Suddenly the tone of the server changed, "Je suis très désolé, mais vous devez avoir une reservation [I'm very sorry, but you must have a reservation]," he said, not sounding very sorry at all. Something in his voice told Relena that he didn't like them very much.
"Is something wrong, Master Heero? We do not have to eat here if you do not want to," she offered, trying to be supportive.
Heero held up a hand to motion that everything was fine. "Allez au directeur. Dites-lui que Heero Yuy veut parler avec lui [Go to the manager. Tell him that Heero Yuy wishes to speak with him]," he commanded, with a slight smirk.
The snobby server stared irritably at him and reluctantly moved from his position and into the manger's office. Ten seconds later, he came scrambling out of the office, scared and panicked, "Je suis très, très, très désolé! Je ne vous avez pas reconnu, Monsieur Yuy. Suivez-moi, s'il vous plaît [I am very, very, very sorry! I did not recognize you, Mr.Yuy. Please, follow me]," he said quickly leading the way to a table. His cheeks were crimson, showing the great embarrassment he had caused upon himself.
Relena, surprised to see the sudden change of attitude, followed too in silence.
He led them to a room that resembled a greenhouse. The walls and ceiling were transparent and around the border were flowers of any species you could think of. Dining tables and chairs were set up all over the place and a few people were already seated and enjoying their meals. Waiters zoomed in and out, serving food, collecting plates, writing bills, and other stuff that waiters did. It was a very busy restaurant. The most inspiring object of the whole scene was the stunning carved marble fountain with the crystalline streams of water flowing from it. Relena loved the feeling the whole scene gave her. It was like visiting a land of fantasy where fairies and enchanted animals lived.
Once they were seated and the annoying server had left, Relena set about getting some questions answered. "Master Heero, how did you-…?" she paused, not knowing how to articulate what she had to say.
However, that was enough for Heero to understand, "My father has very close ties with this restaurant, so my family is highly respected here. I come here the most often though, to be alone. That server must new," he explained coolly.
Relena nodded. So, that's why the server looked so worried after seeing the manager. He was afraid he might have offended their most important customer. "May I ask you something?" she blurted out suddenly. Something was bothering her and she wanted to know the answer.
"You may."
"What language were you speaking just a moment ago?"
"French," he answered simply.
"French. It sounds interesting. I didn't know you could speak French."
"There's a lot that you don't know about me," he replied mysteriously. "But you'll find out in time," he added silently.
Relena pondered at what she had just learned about her oh-so-secretive Master. Fascinated with the idea of a new language she had never heard of, she let her intrigue get the best of her, "Can you teach me French? At least, just one word? Please?" she pleaded, looking up at him with wide, blue eyes and clasping her hands together in a prayer-like manner.
Failing to resist her request, he sighed helplessly and asked for which word she had in mind.
"Umm…I don't know. How about "thank you?"
"Merci," he said clearly, so that Relena could follow along.
"Mer-cy," she repeated slowly.
Heero shook his head, "No, it's merci, not mercy. Soften your "r" by curling your tongue and pronouncing it as if you were preparing to spit. Merci," he instructed.
Relena giggled at the idea of having to spit to be able to speak French. "Mer-cy…mercy…merci! I got it! Merci, Master Heero!" she said delightedly.
Heero smiled and gave a little applaud. "De rien," he replied.
Relena gave him a blank look. "I'm not even gonna go there…" she stated bluntly, although she knew it probably meant "you're welcome". She didn't want to go through all that trouble again. After that experience, she learned that she wasn't one who was very good at learning new languages, but she did wonder, how many languages did her Master know? "Say, do you know any other languages besides English and French?"
"Japanese, my native language," he replied.
"Japanese? That's so amazing! I've always wondered how the Asian languages sounded like. I know they're different from English or French, right? Please, say something in Japanese?" she asked gleefully.
"Like?"
"Anything!"
He was about to speak the Japanese equivalent for "thank you", when an idea struck him. He could use this opportunity to his advantage. "Aishiteru," he said with a sly smile.
"Aishiteru," repeated Relena with ease, "I like it. No hard pronounciation tricks. What does it mean?"
Heero opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a rather large, bubbly, middle-aged man with a thin curled moustache.
"Monsieur Yuy!" he shouted, seeing that his most valued customer had not yet left. He waddled over and offered his hand for a shake.
The second eldest son of the Yuys was not in a very happy mood. Eyes flaring, he reluctantly stood and took the manager's hand and squeezed it extra hard. Thanks to this idiot, his opportunity shattered through thin ice once again.
The manager did not take notice. To him, the source of his client's anger seemed to be targeted towards that new server. "Please accept my most sincere apologies. That imbecile has been taken care of. He will no longer be a nuisance to you," he said carefully, an obvious accent of the French language was apparent.
Heero just glared with all his will power, trying to glare a hole into his head. He made a sound that sounded like a grunt, but you could never tell with Heero Yuy. All he wanted to do right now was to twist the arm he just shook and bend it in half. The tension grew as Heero's famous death glare slowly burned the other man's skin, figuratively speaking. To the manager, who could sense his anger, it felt literal, and he quickly handed them the menus. "Voici les menus [Here are the menus]," he mumbled nervously, and scurried away.
Sitting back down, he turned his attention back to Relena, but surprisingly, she seemed almost frightened too!
"What's the matter?" he asked, trying to sound calm, but to no avail. His query came out more like a snap.
"Nothing…I just thought you could have been a little nicer to both the manager and that server. The manager was just trying to apologize for the server's mistake, which he didn't even know about in the first place! I don't see why you should continue holding a grudge for an honest misunderstanding," she explained thoughtfully.
"Thank you, Relena, for that enlightening speech. Next time, when I want your opinion, I'll ask for it!" he snapped. He couldn't believe that those words just came out of his mouth. She had done nothing wrong, so why was he snapping at her for? It was his temper; he just couldn't control it. He always seemed to get carried away when he was angry and also when he wanted to hide defeat. He cursed himself for his actions and silently prayed that Relena would understand.
Relena didn't protest. She knew that any argument she held would be pointless since the Master always got his way. So, why even bother wasting breath? He will always be a stubborn, hotheaded, spoiled brat. However, she couldn't stay angry with him for very long. There was something about him that just appealed to her in the strangest way.
Heero decided to try changing the subject. "Here's the menu," he informed, handing her one of the laminated boards, "Choose anything you like."
She shook her head, "It doesn't matter to me. Besides, I can't read French anyway."
"It's half in English."
Her cheeks flushed a light shade of pink. "Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you, I can't read English either. I grew up on the streets remember? If I can't even afford to buy food and shelter, then how do you expect me to afford an education?" she clarified matter-of-factly.
Heero paused and thought for a moment. "Do you want me to read it to you?" he offered, in a seemingly sincere voice.
Relena laughed. It was the nicest thing she'd heard from him all day! Sincerity didn't really suit her Master well. "Oh no, thank you! I probably wouldn't understand those fancy names anyway and I don't want to trouble you. It doesn't matter what I eat. Just choose something for me, okay?"
He nodded and called for a waiter to place their orders. Ten minutes later, a platter of fresh pancakes, eggs, coffee, and an orange sat in front of each of them.
Relena stared, astonished by the display in front of her, "But, Master Heero! This is exactly what the kitchen chef prepared for you this morning!" she exclaimed.
"I know," was his simple, yet mysterious reply. Picking up his knife and fork, he started away at his breakfast.
She sighed, knowing she'll never understand the way his mind works. Giving up any further questions, she too picked up the utensils and began to eat.
Taking a sip from his coffee, Heero couldn't help but smile. He had planned to order the same breakfast that was originally meant for him that morning, simply because he felt like eating them. The only reason he took her out to eat was that he needed a reason to get himself and Relena out of the mansion so that distractions wouldn't get in the way. So far, his mission had been unsuccessful, but the morning wasn't over yet. He was determined to complete the task, no matter what it took. Unfortunately, he didn't know it would take so much.
*~*~*
Breakfast was eaten and the bill was paid (a whooping $48.56 plus tips made it well over $50) and after withstanding Relena's lecture on budgeting, Heero had come up with a way to extend their trip. From what he learned in the restaurant, he had thought of the perfect place to take her…the library. It would be a good place to start, actually, because Relena would realize what she was missing when she could not read and besides, he had a few books of his own to return.
It took them a while to locate the car since the parking lot was nearly full. Heero unlocked the door and Relena stepped in, pulling on her own seatbelt this time. Then Heero opened a compartment in the car and took out two books.
"Hold them," he instructed, while going over to the driver's side of the car.
Relena obeyed and held the books protectively; her eyes scanning the front cover longingly. Oh, how she wished she could read these words! Gently, like a fragile antique, she thumbed through the pages, with a wistful look on her face.
Heero couldn't help but smirk. He had expected her reaction to be like this, but he pretended not to notice and started up the car. "Hope you don't mind if we stop by the library to return a few books," he said.
Relena shrugged, "you're the boss."
He winced as her comment indicated that she was still a bit angry with him. They sat in silence as he drove. After a while, Relena sighed deeply. Still gently thumbing through the pages of the books that she held in her hands, she murmured softly, "I wish I knew how to read. I wish I could understand the stories that these pages hold. I do not want to be illiterate anymore, Master Heero, can you please teach me to read?"
Heero had anticipated this request. Nodding, he said, "Alright, I'll teach you, but you have to promise you'll work hard."
"You will? Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise I will work hard!" she cheered excitedly. Without thinking, she flung herself on Heero and gave him a big hug.
Heero smiled, "Now get off, before I change my mind," he threatened jokingly.
She did as she was told, blushing as she just realized what she had done. She mumbled a bleak apology and continued cheering silently to herself.
When they arrived at the library, Heero quickly dropped the books off and returned to the car, where Relena sat eagerly.
"When can we start?" she asked.
"As soon as I figure out where you are. Now, have you learned any reading at all?" he asked.
Relena thought back. "My brother Milliardo, taught me how to read the alphabet when I was younger…does that count?"
Heero nodded idly. "Yes, that will do fine," he confirmed. Then changing the subject, he asked, "Do you miss your brother a lot?"
"Oh yes, I miss him terribly, but he wouldn't want me to miss him. I have to move on," she explained, giving him a weak look. She always seemed so sad and distant whenever the topic of her past came up.
"Where is he now?" he asked sympathetically.
Surprised, Relena blurted out, "At the cemetery of course! At the St. Paul's Church cemetery. Where else would he be?"
"Do you wish to visit him again?" he offered.
Relena looked at him oddly. Did he think that Milliardo could still be alive even though she told him he wasn't? "I guess, if you wouldn't mind, "she said timidly at last.
"Not at all," replied Heero, as he braked the car and drove the opposite direction to the church.
*~*~*
The cemetery was dark, gloomy, and full of secrets. The eerie atmosphere surrounded this home for the spirits of the deceased. Each undisturbed tombstone marked the door of each home where the wandering ghosts rested. The uncanny feeling of the presence of the supernatural was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.
Relena knew exactly where her brother lay, for she had buried his lifeless body with her own two hands. He rested not to far from the entry gates, marked by bare plank of wood that was erected upright to mark the location of the grave. "Oh Milliardo!" she gasped all of a sudden, kneeling in front of the wood. "I have followed your wishes and found a very kind family whom I can work for and they are very kind to me. Please be happy, wherever you are." A tear fell from her eye to the soft soil that lay around the ground.
Heero empathized with her. He knew how it was like to lose a loved one. His eye caught the sight of the wood. Is that the "tombstone" that marked Relena's brother's grave? How would anyone know? It didn't even have written words on it! "Relena, if I may, I would be more than glad to assist you in purchasing a tombstone with a proper memorial for your brother," he asked kindly.
Relena looked at him with an expression of pure joy. No one has ever offered to that for her before. Actually, she hadn't received many gifts throughout her lifetime. Knowing that someone would be kind enough to help not only her, but also her brother too, gave her a deep sense of gratitude. "Oh, would you? That would mean so much to me! Thank you!" she breathed excitedly.
Heero nodded and went to fetch the tombstone engraver. He returned with an elderly man. "Relena, go with this man and give him all the details he ask for and you wish to have on your brother's memorial," he instructed. They left, and Heero was left standing alone in front of where Relena's brother lay. Perfect. Just the way he wanted it. He needed a word with him.
"Milliardo Peacecraft," he began in a sparse whisper, "Your sister is safe with me. All I ask is that you give the assurance that I may stay by her side and protect her from now on. Give me your sister, as my wife and I shall protect her with my life. She is as precious to me, as you are to her, and I would never let any harm come to her. Thank you." He bowed just before Relena and the tombstone engraver returned.
"It will be ready by tomorrow," he said.
Heero nodded his approval and handed him the money. "Come on, Relena, we need to get going now," he informed.
"Hold on a second," she protested, stopping him in his tracks. "Thank you very much, mister. You don't know how much you have helped me," she told the old man.
"Glad to be of service," he replied with a bow and left.
"And Milliardo…" her voice wavered as she turned back to her brother. I'm so happy you now your memory will now be preserved in stone. Please be at peace and at rest. I will always remember you," she whispered, tears brimming to the top of her eyes, but she brushed them away before they could fall. "We can go now, Master Heero."
Heero gazed at her worriedly, and then lead the way to the car. Once seated, Heero took out a tissue and handed it over to her, "People you love will never leave you as long as you still love them. Remember him, and he'll forever remain in your heart," he said, trying to comfort her.
Relena sniffed and gratefully took the offered tissue and wiped away any tears that escaped. Abruptly, a wave of emotion swept through her and she threw herself on Heero in a warm embrace. Unable to contain herself, she let her tears out and sobbed into his chest.
Heero was taken by surprise, but he did not resist. Instead he hugged her back.
"Thank you so much, Master Heero, for everything you've done for me, and all the comfort you gave me when I was sad. I don't know how I'll ever repay you, but I promise you, I will someday," vowed Relena in between sobs. She drew herself closer to his body.
Heero hugged her tighter and absent-mindedly began to stroke her hair. "Shhh… it's all right. You don't have to cry," he murmured soothingly.
Finally, Relena's senses came back to her. She stifled her sobs and broke their hug. "I…I'm sorry, Master Heero. I don't know what came over me. I don't want to bother you," she apologized and sat back in her seat, pulling the seatbelt over her.
Giving one final worried glimpse of her, he did the same.
*~*~*
They sat in silence as Heero drove. He just drove, not knowing exactly where his destination would be, but he knew for sure that he would not be taking her back. He couldn't, not without doing what he had set out to do in the first place. 'Why am I such a fool?' he cursed himself once again. It had been the perfect moment, she was in her arms and he was in hers, if only he had been quick enough to say something constructive! 'Why couldn't I have been more assertive?' he asked himself. Sometimes he hated the way he reacted to certain situations but he just couldn't help it. He had to think of his next move and fast.
"Relena, how would you like it if I take you somewhere so you can relax and get your mind off things?" he offered, desperately trying to extend the trip.
Curiously, Relena looked at him momentarily. 'That's odd…if I hadn't known better, I'd say he was trying to delay this little adventure,' she thought, but shrugged and declared the possibility to be impossible. "That would be a great idea. Where did you have in mind?"
"The beach," he replied.
*~*~*
As Heero pulled the car into an empty parking space, Relena noticed how serene the beach was. The atmosphere, so calm and peaceful and the waves of the ocean could be heard miles away. She took a deep breath and released again slowly so that she could almost taste the purity of the seaside air. "Wow…" she whispered in awe, "So this is how a beach looks like! Where are all the other people?"
"It's too early in the morning for people to be here, and besides it's too cold in the morning. A beach is meant for people to relax, to soak up the sun, and to simply have fun. Most people are probably still sleeping," he answered, turning off the car engine and pocketing the key. "C'mon."
Relena stepped out of the car and stretched her arms. "What a wonderful place the beach is! I feel so free!" she exclaimed openly.
Heero smirked at her pleasure. "I thought you might like it here. I used to come here all the time when I was younger. It gave me time to think by myself. It allowed me to tune out the outside world and enter a world where only I existed," he explained remotely, "It was my escape portal." He moved, walking away from the car so they could start their exploration of the beach. Relena followed beside him.
"Escape? Escape from what?" she asked curiously. This was the first time she had ever heard anything about his past. She was intrigued and wanted to know more about why he is the way he is. "From the mansion; from the pressures of being a son of the most prominent family in the land. You know, Relena, being wealthy isn't always as easy as everyone thinks it is. My father always said, "With great power comes responsibility." I didn't want that responsibility and really considered running away for a while. Then I realized how selfish I was being by thinking of running away without even considering about my family first and how worried they would be if I left. So that's why I'm still here now," he said, almost sadly.
"Good for you! Running away from your problems is never the right answer. You can never run away from them, just like you can't stop the course of day by turning your face away from the light. Still, I don't know why you're complaining so much. Your life couldn't have been any worse than how I grew up," she stated blatantly.
"So we can draw the conclusion that life, no matter who's life, is difficult to live, but that shouldn't stop us from living it, right?"
"Yup! Then we're agreed," she said with a bright smile and a curt nod. She couldn't believe it! She and Heero were actually making conversation and getting along! That was definitely something to rejoice about! But, she couldn't help wondering, why was he turning over a new leaf? Did he want them to be friends? Whatever it was, Relena didn't care. She was just so happy that Heero had opened up to her. Now she could pinpoint the source of his coldness: his solitude. He didn't seem so bad to her anymore. Knowing why he acted this way helped her to understand him. She didn't hate him anymore; in fact, she wanted to be his friend. She wanted to know more about his past, but she didn't want to break the newly formed bond that has just been discovered, so she kept quiet and waited for him to reveal his own secrets.
Heero was surprised at his own ability to be sincere. He had not once yelled or snapped at her since the trip to the cemetery. It was a power he never knew he had in him. He was also shocked that he had actually opened up a bit about himself to her. Never to anyone, not even Duo or the guys, had he ever revealed how he used to feel in the past. 'What is it about this girl that makes him feel so different?' he wondered to himself. "There's something about her that makes me feel like I can tell her anything and trust that she'll keep it safe, but what?' Heero knew it was probably the emotion called "love", but for some strange reason, he didn't hate it. He truly enjoyed Relena's company and was content that they were finally alone together and making progress. To his dismay, this moment of peace wasn't to last much longer…
Since both of them were so wrapped up in their thoughts, neither of them noticed a little girl approaching them. She was scrawny, at least, thinner than the average child, and couldn't be any older than Rosabelle. Her clothes were rags, her face and skin was filthy, and her hair was tangled in a big clump. In her hands, she carried a rusty pail that seemed to contain something.
'This was how Relena looked when she first arrived at our mansion…' thought Heero empathetically.
Relena saw her and smiled warmly. "Why, hello! Who might you be?" she asked kindly.
"I'm Diana," she said timidly, her bright green eyes sparkling at Relena.
Relena kneeled so that she was level with the little girl. "Diana. That's a beautiful name," she commented.
Diana beamed and held out the pail in front of her. They could now clearly see that it contained a bunch of assorted seashells. "Please, Miss, help me. Buy some seashells so that I can help my mommy. She is very sick and I need to take her to the doctor," she begged. Her eyes reflected her innocence.
Relena glanced at her sadly. She could easily relate to Diana. Her situation was almost exactly the same as hers. She opened the small purse she had brought along with her to see how much money she had brought with her. There was only a ten and five dollar bill. "May I ask, how much are you willing to charge for a shell?" she asked.
"Ummm…it doesn't really matter to me as long as I enough money to take my mommy to see the doctor. It's up to you, lady," she answered. Her eyes light up as Relena's question brought hope to her heart.
"Well, in that case, how about a dollar a shell? I'll take fifteen please," she declared, handing over the money to Diana.
Diana stared at the money that was being given to her. It had been so long since anyone bought a shell. There wasn't a need to. Plus, the most that anyone ever bought was one or two shells, but never fifteen shells all at once! This was definitely quite a surprise! "Oh thank you so much!" she squealed with glee, setting the bucket down on the ground in front of Relena, "You may choose the shells you want," she instructed.
"All right," grinned Relena, as she started roaming through the variety of seashells. She was happy to have made a difference in someone else's life.
While she was busy taking one shell out after another, she didn't notice Heero take Diana back some distance so that they could talk without being heard. Then he reached for his wallet and pulled out some money. Lowering his voice, he explained his intentions to the curious, young girl. "I would like to buy all of your shells. This should cover the costs," he whispered, handing over to her a hundred dollars. "Take your mother to a hospital and the rest is for you and your mother to spend as how you wish."
A tear fell from her eyes. She had never been shown this much generosity from anyone in her life! People usually shunned her, thinking she carried some contagious disease or they just ignored her as if she was invisible. However, these two strangers showed more than generosity to her, they showed her kindness and respect, and that was something she knew she would never be able to repay them for. "Thank you so much!" she whispered softly, a wide grin spreading across her face.
"Don't thank me, thank Relena," stated nodding over to the young woman who was still pulling out shells.
Diana quietly looked at him, and then at Relena. She could see it in his eyes…she could see the emotion in his eyes. "You…you love her, don't you?" she asked, shyly.
Heero seemed surprised by her words, but didn't argue her conclusions. He simply nodded.
"Then you should tell her. I'm sure she loves you too."
"I will. Now go and help your mother," he said, trying to avoid any more questions from her.
"Goodbye, and thank you again!" She waved and scurried into the distance.
Heero smiled as a warm feeling overwhelmed his heart. He felt good by doing a good deed for other people. He meandered back to Relena, who was still oblivious to the fact that Heero had just purchased the entire bucket of shells.
"You know, you would take an eternity to choose a shell, so why not just buy the whole bucket?" he asked, pretending nothing has changed.
Relena looked up to face him. "I would if I had brought more money. I'm such and idiot, why didn't I?" she cursed herself. "Hey, where's Diana?" She had just noticed that something was different.
"Gone."
"Gone? What do you mean gone? Doesn't she want her shells back?" she questioned.
"Nope. I bought them all."
Relena stared at him open-mouthed. Did she hear what she thought she heard? "What? You…bought…all?" she stuttered in shock.
"Yeah, so pick them up and let's go."
Relena stared at him for a few more seconds. He never used to donate money to charities or give money to those living on the streets so when did he start? This was something new. She smiled, though, pleased that they were able to help Diana out. "You really do have a good heart, Master Heero, even if you don't show it most of the time. I bet you don't even know you do," she pointed out.
Heero frowned at her comment, "Just don't go blabbing it out to anyone. I have a reputation to keep," he told her sternly. He didn't like being considered as a "kind" person. It made him soft and weak. It just wasn't his style, even though on the inside he was as good as gold.
'Whatever,' thought Relena, disbelieving. Quickly she threw the shells that she had already taken out back into the pail and picked it up by the handle.
They continued their little walk and talk. "So, when did you get so interested in seashells?" Heero questioned. He already knew the answer, but he just wanted to make conversation.
"Well, I'm not really interested in them, but they are nice to look at, don't you think?" she joked, grinning at Heero, but when his mouth didn't even twitch, she let out a big sigh, "It's not me, it's Diana. She reminds me so much of myself. The situation, the circumstances…it's like a reoccurring nightmare. We both had a sick loved one with no money for a doctor and we both sold useless things that could have easily been picked up off the ground by anyone. I had to make this nightmare end. I wanted Diana to have a chance to live and grow up like normal girls do and are supposed to. I wanted to give her a chance to save the life of a loved one," she explained softly, "The chance I never had…" she added, her voice, distant and vague, as if she was reminiscing her own past.
Heero nodded in agreement. He didn't know what to say. He knew of her past, but he didn't know that she held that much passion when the topic came up. He decided to change the subject. "What are you going to do with all those shells?"
She gave him an inward glance. "Well, technically, they're all yours since you paid for all but 15…" she said matter-of-factly.
"Nope, I paid them for you, so now you claim full ownership."
A small laugh escaped her lips. "Well in that case, I don't really know what I'm going to do with them. I guess I can't bring them back, could I?"
Heero shook his head. "Mother would kill me if she saw that mess."
Relena laughed again, harder this time, seeing the truth of his words. The bucket was quite old. Rust and mould grew on its steel covering and who knows what is also in there besides seashells. "No, I guess not. She pondered at the predicament for while, and then an idea came to her. Excitedly, she grabbed Heero's wrist and rushed up closer to the sea, dragging Heero, who was trying to keep up. She stopped at the seashore and reached down to pull of her shoes. Throwing them aside, she carefully stepped into the ocean. It felt good to feel the cool waters flow through her toes.
Heero watched her curiously from dry land, still astonished from her bold move, by dragging him to an unexpected location.
Setting down the bucket, she reached in, pulled out a shell and threw it into the ocean!
"What are you doing?" he asked, looking at her as if she had gone insane. He had paid a hundred dollars for those shells and what does she do with them? She goes and throws them into the damn ocean!
"Throwing seashells into the ocean. What does it look like? Now are you gonna help me or are you just going to stand there?" she said, in a teasing tone of voice. She couldn't help but let out a small giggle at the look of annoyance on his face. She explained her intentions more clearly, "Seashells belong in the ocean. I'm just simply returning what the seas have lost over the years. By doing so, we are also returning the homes of little sea creatures that live and depend on the shell to survive. That way, your purchase won't go to waste because it helps more living things than just Diana." She threw a few more shells.
Heero smiled when her back was turned. Once again, he was shown the bigness of her heart and the foolishness of his own. Taking off his shoes, he stepped into the water and helped her scatter the shells into the ocean. "Who's the kind-hearted one now?" he remarked in an almost teasing fashion. He skipped a shell far into the distance. It was strange, seeing this side of Heero Yuy, and yet, reassuring.
Relena flushed. That little comment affected her in ways he would never know. She rarely received compliments, but she was happy when she did. Of course, she wasn't going to tell anyone, especially not him. Instead she concentrated on sending seashells out to sea.
When the bucket was less than half empty, something that glinted brightly caught Relena's eye. She reached in a pulled out a gorgeous, shiny, light blue shell. One thing was for sure: it was definitely different from the other shells. She wondered why she hadn't noticed it until now. "What a beautiful shell!" she exclaimed, which caught Heero's attention.
He glanced at her and sure enough, the shell in her hands was different from the others.
Relena clasped her hands over the shell and held it close to her chest. Looking up at Heero, she declared, "I'm going to keep this shell as it will be a memory of this wonderful morning you have shared with me. I shall never forget it. It will also be a symbol of out newfound friendship. I hope we will always remain good friends. Carefully, she pocketed her treasure in her purse.
Well, that was about as refreshing as diving into a pool with no water. Was that really how she felt? Did she really want them to be just "friends"? He hoped not, but he had to say what he had to say fast because he was losing his nerve. He told himself to relax and set his sights on his goal.
When the shells were all gone and the bucket was properly disposed of, the two of them attempted to replace their shoes on their feet, but found it quite difficult to get rid of the sand at their feet and toes. Heero, who had managed to get both his shoes on without too much trouble, watched in amusement as Relena hopped up and down, trying to dust off the bottom of her foot, only to accidentally drop it and dirty it again. Heero held out a hand to offer support and she gladly accepted. Leaning on him, Relena finally got both shoes on her feet. Soon they were both ready to move on with the tour of the beach.
Heero decided that it was time. He had to do it soon, since the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like a bad idea. Taking a deep breath, he pushed aside insecurities he still had and began. 'Here goes nothing,' was his final thought. "Relena, there's something I've been meaning to tell you…" he paused.
She looked up at him, "Hmm? Oh yeah, yesterday you wanted to say something to me. I forgot. Well, go ahead now, Master Heero," she said, prodding him forward.
"It's just that…that…" he paused to think of a way to start this, "…that! I do not wish to be your Master anymore."
A panicked look came over Relena's face and Heero knew he had chosen the wrong set of words. 'Damn it!'
He quickly tried to redeem himself though, "No, I don't mean in that way. I mean, I don't want you to call me "Master Heero" anymore. Please, it's Heero."
Relief spread across her face. "Oh, you mean like Rosabelle? You want us to be friends, right. That's very kind of you, Heero," she said, trying out her tongue.
Heero winced, "No, that's not what I meant either. I…" he stumbled, "I want us to be more than just friends." There, he said it. Hopefully, it would be enough for her to get a hint.
He was wrong.
Relena stood, looking bemused. She had a vague idea of what he was trying to say, but had pushed the thought away, proclaiming it to be a misconception. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
Heero sighed mentally. She was making it a lot harder than it actually seemed. He decided that his next plan of action would be to just start from the beginning. "I don't know felt the same way before, but I've felt this strong connection between us ever since we first met on your first day here. It's a really strange feeling and I can't describe it," he said. He growled, desperately trying to articulate his feelings. "It's like I was destined to meet you that day. When our eyes met, it took me every ounce of willpower to break our connection. At first, I tried to ignore my feelings because I didn't know what it was and was scared to tell you. However, they just wouldn't go away and I could feel them grow stronger each day. It developed into so much more," he paused and when he spoke again, his tone of voice became dark, "and then, on that night when Mark tried to…to…touch you…" he hung his head down and stared at the ground, "I couldn't bear it. I just couldn't stand by and watch you get hurt any more. I realized that the feeling that I had so trapped within me was the one called "love". It was then and there when I vowed that I was going to make it my duty to be your protector and protect you from any more harm you may come across. You mean so much more to me, Relena, and I'm not going to let anyone hurt you like that again," he proclaimed strongly. He paused to sigh, "What I'm trying to say is that I want you to stay by my side forever, so that I can protect you. Relena, are you willing to become my wife?" he asked, more confidently than he had expected. He couldn't believe what he had just said. He hadn't planned to ask that at all, it just popped out. But, the damage had been done; he left it to be since it was what he wanted. Now all he had to do was wait for her response.
Relena stopped short. The first thought that came to mind was, 'What the hell?!', as she stared at him in complete confusion and utter shock. Did her ears deceive her? Had she heard correctly? Did Heero Yuy just propose to her? Silence grew between them as Relena, still in a state of surprise, tried to let this sink in.
Heero, noticing her expression, quickly added to his proposal, "But of course, not right away, but after a few years when we're both older. I need your promise, Relena, that you'll be there when the time comes," he explained looking earnestly into her deep azure eyes.
Relena was speechless. Never in her wildest dreams, had she ever imagined that Heero, of all people, to propose to her. Yet, there he was, standing in front of her, anticipating her answer. She didn't know what to say or do. Her voice seemed lost in all this and her mind seemed to fail her as well too. Once she could speak again, and once she had everything straightened out everything within herself, thoughts began to run through her mind as she remembered who she was and whom she was with. This was no ordinary person. He was the son of the Yuys, the most powerful and influential company in the country. How could she possibly compare to that? She took a step back.
"I…I can't. It'll never work out. We live in different worlds that can never mix. How can someone so powerful and wealthy like you marry a common servant? It'll never work out. Besides, you said so yourself, I'm just an "object" of no value. How can someone marry an object?" she asked in an almost cynical way.
Ouch. He knew that his words would come back and bite him someday. "I wasn't in a good mood that day. You se, Relena, I've never been good at expressing my feelings with anyone before, until you came along. The song you sang on the first day, it was so touching that it affected me. I didn't know what the feeling that I felt towards you was called, so that's why I hated you, but know I know, it's love. I was suspicious of you since you had the ability to make me feel so different, so…lost. I was angry when I said that you were just an "object", and I'm sorry. You're not an object, you're a human girl; a living, breathing, beautiful girl whom I love, but the question is, do you love me?"
She stood, taken aback, as she racked her brain for an answer. Did she love him? She really didn't know herself. Sure, she did felt a connection towards him in the beginning, but that couldn't have been love, could it? "I…I don't know," she answered, truthfully, "but…but the Mistress…she'll never allow it," she protested.
"I'm planning to see Father and Mother tomorrow morning. I know my mother very well. She won't turn you down so easily," he assured.
"But…I have nothing to offer you."
"That's not true, you have your love, and that's what counts, even you said so yourself." It was too late, he had accidentally blurted out information she wasn't supposed to know.
Relena frowned. "When have I said that?" she questioned. She didn't recall ever saying that in front of him, only Hilde.
"Er…that doesn't matter. The point is you can offer me your unconditional love and I'll be content with that," he said, trying to cover his mistake.
"I'm not even sure I can give you that…"
"Well, I don't need your answer now. Think about it, I'll be awaiting your reply tomorrow, but now we should be heading back," he said, checking his watch. He turned to leave, but Relena stopped him in his tracks.
"Master Heero?"
"Heero," he corrected, turning his head to face her.
"Why? Why me? Of all the people in the world, why did you choose me?" she asked, with a saddened look on her face.
A loving look came in his eyes. "Because you're you. You're special, Relena, and you know it. Because you were the only one who could affect my emotions so greatly. And lastly, because you understand me."
*~*~*
The ride back was unusually quiet. It was awkward, now that Relena knew of how Heero really felt, for her to sit next to him. She edged as far as possible from him and looked down at her hands in her lap. She couldn't face him, nor did she want to.
Heero concentrated on driving and didn't say anything because he did not want to influence her decision any more than he already had. He did, however, gin to himself, satisfied that he had finally told her the truth. 'Mission complete,' he thought to himself.
Relena soon became deep in thought. 'Why did he have to put me into this situation? He always seems to know how to make my life miserable!' she thought bitterly of the man beside her. 'Marry him? I barely even know him and he expects me to marry him? Sure, I've been working for him for a few months now, but that doesn't mean we know each other well enough to tie the knot. I'm not even sure how I feel about him! One minute he's warm and friendly, and the next, he's as cold as ice! I don't think I can live forever with someone who can change moods wit the snap of a finger. For all I know, he's a spoiled, arrogant, pompous, quick-tempered brat since that's what I get from him ninety percent of the time,' she fumed silently, glaring out the window at the scenery whipping by. The outside world seemed only like a blur at the speed they were going in. Gazing out the window at her own reflection, she watched as her hard, furrowed expression melted away as a memory occurred to her. 'Then again, he really is a kind-hearted person,' she thought of Diana, 'and he did apologize for all the mean things he had said and done."
A smile broadened on her face as her hand absent-mindedly reached up and rested on her cheek. She could still feel his warm touch on her cheek as she remembered the time he applied medication on her cheek after slapping her brutally. Reality snapped her back into place and she quickly withdrew her hand as she fought the urge to blush. It was a good thing she was facing the window, or she wouldn't live down the embarrassment. 'That was so long ago, so why do I still have it stored in my memory? Why can't I forget his touch?' she wondered, frowning to herself. Then the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Of course, that had to be it! The feelings that attracted her to him when they first met and the feeling of warmth and security when she was around him…that was all the evidence she needed. She really was in love with Heero!
Her eyes grew wide in realization as her jaw dropped in surprise. Her face was beet red and she felt hotter than the sun. Suddenly, the trees whipping by became the most interesting things on Earth. 'When did this happen? When did I start falling in love with him? How can I fall in love with him? A servant can not love her Master!' Questions and doubts rolled around her head until it began to hurt.
As they drew nearer to home, she began to calm and relax herself down. She acknowledged the fact that she really was in love. 'I guess Hilde was right; there is such a thing as "love at first sight". I've just been in denial of my feelings this whole time,' she told herself, 'but love isn't the same thing as marriage. Marriage requires much more commitment that I don't think I can handle. Can I become his wife? Should I? Can I promise him a future for us?'
*~*~*
When the car had pulled to a stop at the front of the estate, Relena hastily unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door to leave. She had enough of this and really didn't want to stay with Heero anymore. She wanted to do some thinking alone and plus, her head was hurting. But before she could step entirely out of the convertible, Heero grabbed her wrist and held her back. She whipped around and their eyes met.
"Today, at the restaurant, you asked me what "aishiteru" meant. Now, I'll tell you. It means "I love you" in Japanese, and I wasn't lying then and I'm not lying now. I really do love you, Relena," he said, kissing her hand gently.
A surprised look came over her face, but she didn't resist. For one thing, her body had gone completely numb and weak so she was pretty much defenceless. For another, she liked the feel of his warm lips brushing over her skin. When he released her, she got out of the car and closed the door.
"I'll see you later, then. Goodbye for now, and please consider my proposal," he said and drove of into the distance.
Relena waved. "Goodbye Heero," she whispered to thin air. "Aishiteru…"
*~*~*
Author's Notes: Sigh… what a sweet ending, don't you think? I worked really hard on this part so I hope you all liked it. This one took me longer than expected, but hey, at least it's out, right? Can you believe that this chapter was originally planned to be longer than what it is now? It's true, I've chopped of a part of this chapter and I'm gonna make it a separate chapter because this one was way too long. Besides, I wanted this to end like how it did. A note to all readers: I will never discontinue any fics that I write, unless there's a legitimate reason; so don't think that I've stopped writing.
Disclaimer: I disclaim any characters that aren't mine. (That was simple enough, ne?)