I do not own Gundam Wing. This fan fiction has no commercial value and I am not making any kind of profit or income off of this.

Chapter 5

Heero walked into Relena’s office suite, and asked the secretary to announce him. The lady gave him a quizzical look, but did as he told her. Her boss replied to send him in.

As he opened the door, he caught Duo’s eye and made a motion with his head for her bodyguard to leave them. Duo smirked as he walked passed his friend into the waiting hallway.

Heero turned to close the door when Duo burst out laughing behind him. He glared at his friend and stepped back into the hall. “What?” he hissed between clenched teeth.

Duo tossed a small box back to its owner. “No way you’re doing this,” he said shaking his head.

Heero looked in surprise at the box he now held in his hand. “How?”

“Sticky fingers,” Duo replied with a grin. “I lifted it off you as I was leaving the room. Tell me you’re not seriously going to propose to the girl?”

Heero glared at him. “Why not?”

“There’s no way she’s going to say yes to you without a relationship first. Hello? Earth to Heero, women don’t just marry a guy because they ask them to!”

“You said she loved me. We’ve known each other an appropriate amount of time, why drag it out?”

“Why indeed?” Duo exclaimed sarcastically. “What, do you think you’re going to elope with her tonight or something? That’s terribly romantic.”

“You eloped with Hilde. What’s the difference?” Heero said shrugging his shoulders.

“WHAT????? Yesterday you didn’t care for her the way she does for you, now you’re ready to sweep her off her feet and make her your wife?” Duo yelled.

Heero grabbed him by the shirt collar and dragged him down the hallway. “Shut up, Duo!” He shouted, and released his friend, shoving him back against the wall.

Duo recovered, and reached to put his hand on Heero’s forehead; Heero swatted it away.

“You’re sick. That’s it - you’ve got a fever?”

“What is wrong with you?” Heero hissed.

“Nothing. I just don’t understand what you hope to accomplish. You said you didn’t love her, so what’s going on? She’s my friend, and I don’t want to see her hurt.”

“It’s none of your business. Stay out of it.”

“Well, you’ve been warned. I’m telling you, women want to know that they’re marrying someone that’s going to love them for a lifetime. No matter how much she cares for you, she’s not going to say yes to the man that was so indifferent to her not twelve hours ago.”

“We’ll see. She’s been following me around almost 8 years - since we were fifteen, remember?”

“Fine. Have it your way,” Duo huffed and crossed his arms.

Duo watched his friend open the door to Relena’s office and disappear from view. He checked his watch; it read 9:05am. He sighed and tapped his foot as he waited patiently for some sign of what was going on in there, but the room was silent.

He flicked his wrist and looked at the time again, 9:13am, and still nothing. “Maybe she did say yes…that desk is big enough for them to…”

Suddenly his risqué train of thought was interrupted as the door opened and he saw Relena looking absolutely livid as she violently shoved a startled Heero out of the room and slammed the door behind him. Heero caught himself, looked blankly at the closed door, then crossed the hallway and leaned back against the wall next to Duo.

“Didn’t go too well?” Duo asked casually.

“Not as well as I thought it would,” Heero replied. The two looked up as the door opened. Duo’s eyes widened, and they ducked. Relena slammed the door shut again, as the velvet box hit the ground after bouncing off the wall where Heero’s head had been resting.

“She’s got good aim,” Duo remarked, righting himself.

Heero retrieved the box, then stood up and glared at his friend.

“What? I warned you,” Duo said with a slight chuckle.

“Hn.”

“So, tell me - I want to know the whole story, don’t leave out any good details.”

“Later.”

“Why?”

“You’re still on duty. Get your ass back in there.”

Duo gave him a mock salute. “Yes sir,” he said and rolled his eyes. He opened the door to her office and ducked again as a stapler whizzed by. “Relena, it’s just me. AAAAAAAH!” he screeched and closed the door again. A letter opener lodged itself in the wall behind him. He stood up and glared at Heero before knocking. “Relena!” Duo yelled through the doorway.

“Go away, Duo.”

“But what did I do?” he practically whined.

“You’re his friend.”

“But…” Duo’s shoulders slumped in defeat. He turned and glared at a slightly amused Heero. “This is your fault.”

“She only threw the box at me,” Heero replied with a smirk, and turned to go.

“Hey, wait up!” Duo said, following his friend.

* * * * * *

The two friends sat at the kitchen table while Hilde made them something to eat.

“So, tell me, buddy - what happened?” Duo asked cheerfully while munching on potato chips.

Heero glared at him. “She said no.”

“Well, I thought that was pretty obvious. What made you go straight for the full commitment? I mean - why not just ask her on a date?”

“I don’t want to date her,” Heero replied icily.

“Oooookay. But you do want to marry her?” Duo looked confused.

“Hn. You wouldn’t understand.”

Duo’s response was cut off by Hilde placing the sandwiches down on the table in front of the two men. Duo grinned at his wife, and she laughingly planted a kiss on his lips. “Whoever said the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach was talking about you, Duo,” Hilde joked. “You’re chipper as always, Heero.”

“Hn.”

“He’s not feeling so well today, Hilde. He’s kind of had a rough morning,” Duo said with a slight smile.

Heero just glared at him between bites of his sandwich.

“Wow, a rough morning, huh? Did more terrorists try to dance with Relena last night?” Hilde asked in a teasing tone.

Duo laughed.

“Hn.”

An evil smile crept onto Duo’s face. “Actually, Hilde,” he began - his eyes daring Heero to stop him.

Heero straightened in his chair, glaring daggers at his friend.

“He proposed to Relena this morning….”

That was it. Heero lunged across the table, trying to get Duo in a chokehold.

“Ohmigod! Heero, you proposed to her! I didn’t even know you two were dating!”

The two wrestled on the floor, knocking over a couple of chairs, and tumbling into Hilde. Heero finally got the upper hand, pinning his opponent down to the floor by the shoulders with his knees. He ruthlessly squeezed Duo’s throat and banged his braided head on the kitchen tile. Duo was turning blue in Heero’s grasp, choking for air, but he managed to get out, “They’re not.”

“WHAT? Heero let go of him right now!” Hilde yelled.

For some reason, Heero obeyed. He stood up and offered Duo his hand. Duo took it, and was halfway up when Heero let go and he fell to the floor again. He glared up at his friend and picked himself off the ground.

“Okay,” Hilde said, commanding their attention. “Spill it. So far all I’ve got is Heero proposed to Relena, but you two weren’t dating.”

Duo rubbed his neck. “Yeah, she said no.”

Hilde stared wide-eyed at Heero, who was sitting in his chair, arms crossed, looking like a little boy caught teasing his brother. “Um, I guess I didn’t know you cared about her so much, Heero. What are you going to do now?”

Heero shrugged.

“You do love her, don’t you, Heero?” Hilde asked.

Heero shrugged his shoulders again.

Hilde blinked in bewilderment.

Duo interrupted. “Of course he loves her! Did you see the ring he got her? It’s beautiful!” He practically sang.

Heero glared at him, but dutifully reached into his pocket and pulled out the abused ring box and handed it to Hilde.

Hilde opened it and gasped at the beautiful marquise-cut diamond in a white gold setting. She smiled slyly at Heero. “You have great taste.” She handed the box back to him and sat down, propping her chin up on her hand and looking at him expectantly. Duo smiled and followed suit.

Heero glanced from one to the other. “What?” He growled.

“I thought you were going to tell us the story,” Hilde said cheerfully.

“There’s nothing to tell.”

“You’re not going to at least go over the proposal? Did you kneel down and take her hand and all that?” Hilde asked with a dreamy look in her eye.

Duo laughed. “Ha! Heero probably dropped the box on her desk and told her ‘we’re getting married’.”

Hilde went to slap him, then stopped at Heero’s expression. She sucked in a breath as her eyes went wide. “You didn’t!”

Duo choked. “No way! Even I’m not that big of an idiot!”

Heero stood up. “I don’t have to take this, Maxwell.” He said coldly, turning away and heading for the door. “If you’re not going to help….”

“Help? You never asked me to help you! What do you want me to do Heero? You haven’t even told me why-y-y,” he glanced at Hilde, “I mean what changed your mind so suddenly,” Duo called out chasing after his friend. “Oh, man, until I find out what he’s up to, it’s best that Hilde thinks he’s in love with Relena,” Duo thought and closed the door behind him. “Heero, wait up!”

Hilde watched the two men leave and sighed. “Poor Relena. This is the man she’s in love with. At least Duo was trainable…Heero? I don’t think she’s got a prayer.”