The Girl Next Door

 

Chapter Three: Under the Stars

 

 

            “Heero! What’re you doing back here?”

            “I told you Dorothy, I’m not interested!” I glared at Dorothy from my shadowy corner where I’d been avoiding the star-struck looks of girls who wanted to dance with an ‘older man’. The one girl *I* wanted to dance with was busy catching up on the news of the summer she’d missed being at her grandmother’s for the past few weeks when she wasn’t throwing mournful looks across the room at a certain Treize Khushrenada.

            “Relax, I’ve already been rejected once tonight, I don’t need it from you again.” Dorothy stuck her tongue out slightly at me and smiled. “I told you, I’ve got fresh meat.” She nodded over at the refreshment table where Quatre was talking to someone I didn’t know. “Anyways, I was told to come and get you. Relena wants you.”

            “Relena wants me?” I asked, slightly confused. Even though when we were younger and she’d had a crush on me, she’d never deliberately sent someone looking for me. That wasn’t her style. That was too coy for her tastes. If Relena wanted someone, she’d go up to them and demand they make time for her. “What does she want?”

            “I don’t know.” Dorothy shrugged. “I’m just the messenger. She’s waiting out on the back patio.”

            “Okay.”

            “You’re so ignorant Heero. That means you go out to the back patio.” I blinked. Dorothy sighed in exasperation and gave me a slight shove. “Go!”

            “I’m going, I’m going, Jesus Christ!” I complained, giving her one of my infamous glares.

            She laughed. “You don’t scare me, Yuy.”

            “I wouldn’t be scared of anything either if I had to live looking as scary as you do.”

            Dorothy’s eyes narrowed. “Asshole.”

            I smirked, flicked her off and continued on my path to the back patio.

 

#@#@#@

 

            “That you Relena?” I called, blinking in an effort to get used to the dim backyard.

            “If that’s Heero, than I’m Relena,” she called, stepping out into a patch of moonlight so I could see her. The moonlight surrounded her; giving her skin a milky glow…I wondered what it would feel like to touch her bare skin…I shook my head, clearing my mind of all thoughts that seemed to be continuing down that path.

            “It’s Heero. Dorothy said you wanted to see me?”

            A blush rose on her face and she said quickly, “Not here, we’re too close to the party and someone might come out and see us-here, come with me!” With that, she darted forward and grabbed my hand and ran across the yard, surprisingly fast for someone with such high heels on.

            At last, we ended up behind the woodshed. It was darker there, away from the bright lights of the party and suddenly, the atmosphere seemed too intense for me. I wanted to run away, but my curiosity got the better of me as I asked, “We’re alone, what did you want me for?”

            “First swear you won’t tell anyone,” she said in a low voice, her eyes trained intently on me. Even in the darkness, I could see the bright blue of her eyes darken. “Swear it!”

            “I swear, I swear,” I promised, holding up my hands. “See, no crossed fingers. Now, would you *please* tell me what’s going on?”

            She sighed and fidgeted, but seemed satisfied with my promise. “I want you to-help me-with something.”

            “Depends on what it is.”

            She blushed and said in a low, fast voice, “You see, I’ve kinda got a-a *crush* on someone and I can’t ask Milli because he’s my *brother* you know, so I thought I’d ask you to help-,”

            “You want me to hook you up with someone?” I asked flatly.

            She shook her head. “No, not like a date when we go to a movie and it’s over in an hour! I want…a…” she paused, “You’ll laugh, but-I want a relationship.”

            “So…you want *me* to play matchmaker?” I asked incredulously. “*Me*?”

            She nodded vehemently. “I *know* you think it’s stupid, but it would mean a lot to me…you could consider it my birthday gift!”

            I sighed, knowing I was about to give in, the bitterness of defeat seeping through my veins. “So, who’s the guy?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

            “Treize.”

            My eyes widened, even though I’d known the answer. “But-what about Anne? You *know* he’s been with her for over a year!”

            “I know! You’ve never been in love have you Heero? When you feel the way I do…it doesn’t matter who else is there! All that matters is that you and the one you love are together forever as long as that may be! That’s all that matters!” Relena cried passionately, throwing her arms out to emphasize her point.

            “But…what if Anne is the one he loves?”

            Relena shook her head. “He feels something for me, he *does*! He was always so kind to me when I was little…and now I’m older, he’s so much more-Heero, please!”

            “Why can’t you ask Dorothy?” I asked, my throat feeling painfully dry as I licked my lips. “Isn’t *she* your best friend?”

            “I can’t. She’s not close to Treize-anyways, Treize would just think she was trying to add him to her list of conquests.” Relena looked at me, her eyes wide and hopeful. “Please Heero? You probably don’t think this, but next to Dorothy, you’re the closest friend I got!”

            I sighed again. “I’ll see what I can do.”

            “You will? Really?” She squealed and flung her arms around me. “Thank you Heero! Thank you!”

            “You’re welcome,” I murmured, wondering how long I could stand to hold her in my arms.

            The truth was, I was could hold her like that forever.

 

#@#@#@

 

            I was up on the roof when the last car pulled out of Relena’s driveway. After the incident behind the woodshed, I’d retreated back to my house, but had been unable to stay hidden. I wanted to see if Relena had any luck with Treize without my help. So, there I was, perched on the roof of the house outside my window *spying* on her. Pathetic. And yet, I wasn’t doing anything to *stop* being pathetic…

            I sighed and rearranged myself, feeling cramped from sitting in one position for so long. As I watched Relena wave at the last car before returning to her house, I tried desperately to sort out the emotions tumbling around within me.

            I couldn’t have fallen for her because she had come home a knockout. That had happened two years ago when she was fourteen. Tow-headed, skinny, flat-chested little twerpy Relena had come home blond, tanned, tall, and curvaceous Relena. And I hadn’t fallen for her then. I’d blown her off as usual. It couldn’t be that she’d shown some display of remarkable intelligence, she had only been throwing out some conversation. Nothing important. So why had I fallen so hard and so quickly?

            The answer came to me. I was jealous! I was just used to her fawning over me and it was a blow to my pride that she’d fallen for Treize. That had to be it.

            But, then…why was I still remembering the feel of her in my arms?

            I shook my head. It was all becoming too much for me. I jumped to my feet and prepare to descend down back into my house when I saw her exit her backdoor and wander out into the patio. Why she was out here-and *exactly* at the time when I was pondering my feelings for her? I cursed angrily and prepared to exit before she could see me but-

            “Heero! What’re you doing up there?”

            Damn. I was stuck! I glared into the night and resigned myself to my fate as I slowly made my way to the edge of the roof before jumping off it and into my own backyard. “Hello Relena.”

            She smiled and leaned against the fence that separated our yards. “Hey Heero. Why’d you leave the party so early?”

            Because I didn’t want to see you fall more in love with Treize. I kicked myself mentally and instead said, “I didn’t want to dance with a bunch of freshmen looking for college guys.”

            Relena laughed. “You could’ve danced with me or Dorothy. We would have saved you from the freshmen.”

            “Dorothy has ‘fresh meat’-she was going to spend the whole party trying to seduce Quatre and piss Noin off by flirting with Milli.” Relena laughed again and briefly I wondered what it would be like to always be able to make her laugh in that careless, affectionate manner. “And *you*-you were waiting for Treize to come and sweep you off your feet!”
            Relena blushed but managed to collect her wits about her and say accusingly, “You promised you wouldn’t laugh!”

            “I’m not. Just teasing.” I smirked at her. “That’s a special privilege I get, being best friends with your brother and all.”

            “Jerk,” she said, sticking her tongue out at me.

            “Don’t make me come over there,” I threatened in a low voice, playfulness seeping into my harsh tones without my will. Where was the self-control I was so proud of?

            “Come and catch me Yuy,” Relena teased, her body tensing to run. That was direct challenge and I have never turned down a challenge.

            “Here I come-ready or not,” I replied, already over the fence by the time my sentence was finished. She stared, a slightly impressed look in her face. And then, she grinned and took off, giggling the whole time.

            She was surprisingly a fast runner and I was forced to try my hardest to catch up with her. Every time I cam near her, she would slow down enough so I could almost touch her and then-she’d sprint off, giggling madly at my frustrated curses.

            But I’ve never failed at anything I’ve set my mind too and finally I had her, pinned against the back of the woodshed. She couldn’t stop laughing, her body heaving with the silent giggles as tears formed in her eyes. “You-you win,” she panted out.

            I waited a moment for her to catch her breath before saying quietly, “I never gave you your birthday present.”

            “Yes you did. You agreed to help me with Treize,” Relena responded cheerily. There was a long moment of tense silence and finally she said in a squeaky little voice, “He-Heero?”

            I knew I was probably weirding her out, just standing there and *staring* at her lips but I’d never want to kiss her as much as I did then-whoa! What was I thinking?!! *Kiss* Relena?

            The thought passed through my mind once more. *Kiss* Relena…

            “How about a birthday kiss?” I asked, leaning closer. Her smile left her face and her breathing pattern picked up again.

            “Maybe,” she replied, her eyes wide.

            That was a yes in my mind so I did what I knew I’d end up regretting. I kissed Relena behind the woodshed and under the stars.