Serendipity 7/?

[Coley Merrin]

***

As she stirred an hour later, unaccustomed to someone holding her in sleep, she felt him move as well.

?Sorry,? she whispered. ?I didn?t mean to wake you up.?

?It?s ok. Is something wrong??

?I can?t stay here... I should go back to Lauren?s room. She might wake up.?

?OK. That?s a good idea...? He began to sit up, but she stopped him.

?It?s all right. I can find my way back.?

His lips curved, nuzzling close her hers before she could go. She could not stop her hands from cupping his face as she sat beside him. It seemed like so many dreams that were dear to her were centered on just this face. Just a moment, she promised herself as he pulled her closer, just a little taste... A breathless minute later she knew she had gone beyond that ?moment.?

?Now I really should go,? she said apologetically, her eyes steady on his, knowing.

He lightly squeezed one of the hands he had covered with his own.

?I?ll see you in the morning.?

?Bright and early,? she added, amused. Her hand slipped from his and with a tiny wave she disappeared back into the hall. He let his head drop back onto the pillow, then for good measure slammed it back twice more. It had only been a kiss.

*

In her pajamas, and in her own bed, she found herself caught up in thought. She did not feel that she was an overly modest person. Her body was familiar to her, after all twenty years would to that to someone. She had once been so self conscious that tight shirts or light colored ones were taboo because they might show off the evidence of her blooming body. It had worn off after a while, when she had mentally come to terms with the fact that every teenage girl was going through the same thing, and that it wasn?t as if anyone was under the impression that she as a female wasn?t one day going to become a woman anyway. All that worry for absolutely nothing. It had been perhaps the last thing she worried about in the past few years, even going so far as to take enjoyment in her figure. She was comfortable with her looks, not finding herself entirely unattractive but being understandably insecure at times. Even so she couldn?t help wondering what he thought, and found herself glaring at her reflection when passing windows and passing before mirrors.

It was a privilege to feel confidant in one?s self and it was an ingrained battle to be thankful and not move into rocky ground with excessive pride. It was, after all, due to genetics, unlike an accomplishment. Sometimes when he looked at her as he had tonight she felt not merely pretty, but beautiful. In those moments she didn?t care what anyone else might have or may not have thought about her appearance. She felt beautiful for no one but him. It was not physical beauty, rather the glow of knowing that he approved, that she was somehow pleasing in his eyes. She might not go so far as to wear sackcloth for him, but if it were private, if he would look at her just once more like that...

Words were her entire life. Nations rose and fell on words, and she had versed herself in the most tactful, honest, true to character words that she possibly could. Yet sometimes she was glad Heero often felt no such need. He was straight with her when he spoke, but it fell to his actions and expressions to tell her undoubtedly what he was feeling, just as it did with every other human.

It was a learning experience for her to be here with him, in more ways than one. She was staying with a man in the most basic way, but even though he was intrinsically neat, he cluttered so that she was compulsively driven to pick up and straighten in a way that made her step back and acknowledge the borderline domesticity of it all.

In a different way she learned of him as a person. She learned that he hated wearing socks if her wore no shoes, even though it was the dead of winter and there were tiles that vaguely resembled ice cubes. He liked keeping his own bathroom and was oddly private about it, which made her cautiously curious about what sort of disaster area he had created for himself. She also got a deeper peek at how Heero was otherwise. He ate peas, though he didn?t like them, because they were good for Lauren and *she* liked them. He read to Lauren from books that were classified solely for young girls. He alphabetized the refrigerator, but filed his personal records in whatever order best suited him at the second. She had found, in her time there, that he used the most heavenly shampoo that she had ever smelled.


There seemed to be a multitude of things she knew, and scores more that she didn?t. She wanted to, though, wanted to almost more than she wanted to be close to him like tonight. There was no real way to compare the two... she wanted each differently. Sitting on the urge to giggle, she willed herself to sleep.

***

The hand pushing against her shoulder was a minor annoyance. The blankets around her seemed to almost glow with heat, that comfort pulling her back into sleep. The hand, however, was insistent.

?Wha?? she asked before slitting her eyes open. Full consciousness came to her quickly as a pair of tearful green eyes came into focus. ?Lauren? What?s wrong??

Her lips trembled. ?I dreamed that Heero had to go away,? she whimpered. ?I?m too scared to go and see.?

?Oh, sweetheart...? The girl was on the bed and in Relena?s arms as soon as she?d opened them. The blanket was tucked around their legs, warming them as they rocked together. The girl was cold, having probably tossed her covers in the dreaming. What could Relena tell her to calm her heart? She could say that Heero never wanted to leave her, but had the girl?s mother *wanted* to leave her by dying?

?He never wants to leave you,? she settled on finally. ?Let?s go see him, ok??

?K.?

They tiptoed their way out, the girl clutching Relena?s hand as if she would run away. Heero?s door stood half open, ever watchful as always. Lauren visibly relaxed as Heero came into view. He had been dreaming as well, it seemed. He was sprawled face down, his head having left the pillow in favor of his arm holding it to his side, with his opposite hand splayed against the sheet by his head. His ankle was slowly inching its way off of the bed, the apparent movement of his legs causing his blankets to twist around and not cover half of him. A nice slice of skin was exposed below his shirt, she acknowledged with a half niggling thought. Motioning for Lauren to stay, she moved quietly into the room and eased the blankets out from around Heero to bring them back up over him. She knew somehow that if she touched him with anything but the blankets he would wake, so she stopped herself from smoothing his hair back from his face.

Thank goodness they had covered the gifts before... distracting themselves. She had the good grace to blush, taking Lauren?s hand and standing so that they might watch the sleeping man a little longer. It was Lauren, in the end, that had to tear her away but the girl didn?t seem to notice since she was feeling comforted. She stopped as they entered back into ?their? room, and looked up at Relena.

?Would it be ok if I slept in your bed tonight?? The prospect of sleeping the rest of the night in the bag on the floor was less than attractive right now.

Relena smiled, letting her hand run over the girl?s hair. ?Of course.?

Relena let Lauren crawl in first, for several reasons among them being if Heero actually tried to get her help she?d be easily accessed. Another smile crossed her face as she thought of Heero, asleep and spread over that pillow, knowing that she was entirely lost. Lauren was curled beside her, and Christmas morning was steadily approaching... it was time for sleep.

***

Christmas morning dawned in a very literal manner. The sun in Relena?s eyes woke her before the slumbering child had a chance to. Sun... on Christmas? That *was* unusual. But the clouds in the not-so-distant distance promised the snow that had been forecast. She tiptoed out, finding the Christmas tree already lit and twinkling. The brand new bike with the big red bow stood sparkling in the light of the sun and the tree lights. Nestled around it was a veritable zoo of stuffed animals; all contributed by Heero's fellow pilots, and assorted people who had met Lauren and were rooting for their happiness.

She closed her eyes in bliss as the aromas of coffee and cinnamon rolls delighted her nose. She was about to float into the kitchen when an arm snaked around her waist. Her body tensed out of instinct as she was pulled back, but relaxed as the scent of familiar aftershave told her just exactly who was cradling her against their chest.

?Morning,? she murmured, letting her head fall back against his shoulder.

His face was buried in her neck, softly kissing her there for his greeting. Her eyes closed, trying to memorize every detail. It was like a surreal dream. Every time he touched her it kept getting more bizarre. He held her now so intimately, like she was a lover, a giant leap that this flirtation was only nibbling at, and it was even more so intimate when she thought of the child in the next room who would be waking up soon and coming out to celebrate the holiday with them... as if Relena were a part of their family. She had days to live in this dream, days that would end sometime around noon tomorrow. It wasn?t as if they had set a time limit but she knew she didn?t want to overstay her welcome. But how she wanted to, and how she longed to stay here in Heero?s arms. It was as if with Christmas over, the magic would fade. She was Cinderella, waiting for the clock to strike midnight and the fantasy to be over.

?How?d you sleep?? he asked softly.

?All right. You??

His hand tightened on her hip. ?I?ve probably slept better.?

It was impossible to miss his implications. Being with him like this seemed to leave her in a state of constant breathlessness. He seemed about to say something, but instead he sighed.

?Lauren will be up soon. All the cameras are up and running.?

Relena?s eyes flew open and she stared at the tree. She had forgotten about that entirely. No one wanted to miss Lauren?s reaction to their gift and so several camera?s had been donated, recording from several angles so nothing would be missed. And undoubtedly capturing their embrace right now. Her face colored of its own volition and he laughed. When she turned, about to be indignant, he kissed her, his eyes twinkling.

?I forgot about it until just then, too.?

She couldn?t be upset with that face.

?She?s coming out,? he whispered, letting them part and step forward.

The child?s eyes seemed to grow and grow as she stepped out. Her eyes darted from the waiting presents to Heero as if asking if it was really all for her. At his answering smile she literally flew to the tree.

Front and center was the bike, gleaming in the twinkling lights. To the very far side was the doll house, but it was what surrounded the bike that was the true showcase of the day. It was a menagerie of animals from those who wanted to give. Stuffed animals to keep her company.

First in line was a lounging lion, Trowa?s gift, laying next to a large, whimsical, purple elephant: Duo?s choice. A journal, also from Trowa, hung off of the elephant?s trunk. Quatre?s gift, on the other side of the bike, was a large cream teddy bear complete with red bow and jingling bell. Two koalas, mother and baby, were from Wufei and Sally, and they were the last of the plushes. Relena?s gift, a tall wooden horse set up to rock realistically on its base and carriers, could also be locked down or taken off for stationary display. It was obviously a young girl?s horse, not a child?s toy. The bridle and saddle in a fancy true to life style, were emphasized by the flow-y princess hat that perched on the horse?s rump. Lauren seemed not to know quite where to start. She wandered down the front of the toys, trailing her fingers over each one.

Half an hour later, while Relena and Lauren shared a cinnamon roll, Heero had moved most of the heavy objects into Lauren?s room. Relena had been warned to watch out for wandering stuffed animals during the night, and this while he was wedging Duo?s elephant into a corner with Quatre?s bear. The room was... full, to put it mildly, with an area to walk around to get at things. The empty space was half filled now with her sleeping bag. Small size limits were going to be imposed for her birthday, he had decided, unless he found them a larger space. The rest of the presents under the tree beckoned to them.

As they sat on the couch with the small pile of presents in front of them, Relena got the feeling that if she took her time to open the present in her lap the girl would do it for her. The box under the dancing Christmas trees was a typical box one would get at a clothing store, and her eyebrows rose as curiosity bit her again. Surely they hadn?t gotten her clothes? It took all she had not to look up to question Heero with her eyes, even if she knew all she would find was encouragement to go on.

An edge of cloth that stopped just short of frilly spilled out of the box. The motto that had been emblazoned on Heero?s apron grinned up at her. Now it had been too long that she had been silent.

?We didn?t know what to get you... So now we have matching dresses... and you and Heero have matching aprons.?

?His and hers,? Heero agreed. ?A souvenir if nothing more.?

?Thank you,? Relena said, hugging the girl quite awkwardly with one arm due to their positions. She didn?t feel quite safe touching Heero right then. She would be blushing if given the opportunity, thinking about what might be meant by ?his and hers? aprons. And then again, it could be nothing at all. He had made sure, it seemed, to qualify the statement with making it a souvenir. A souvenir of what though? Of Lauren?s first Christmas? Of her brief time to stay with them? Nothing about it was clear. When would all of it start to make sense?

?That was from us, and this,? he pulled a smaller, calmer, poinsettia wrapped package, from between he and Lauren, handing it to her, ?is from me.?

Her eyes widened for two reasons. One, she never expected a further gift from him, and two, that note of possessiveness in his voice... he wanted it to be clear that this present was from him and him alone. The outside paper came off easily, exposing a flat, slightly elongated velvet box. Her brows furrowed in concentration. Certainly he couldn?t be giving her *more* jewelry. Her lips parted as a soft intake of breath marked her surprise.

A locket. The gold of the heart was soft, age worn, darkened in places that gave the look of dark brass. It had the character of something very old, the character something new could only strive to achieve. She could barely bring herself to touch it, the fine scroll work looking delicate, and yet standing out in relief as if it had been made yesterday. Her thumb found the catch easily. Was it rational to be apprehensive of what lay inside? It could very well be empty, a blank present for her to fill with what she deemed important. Yet even as she felt Heero?s eyes on her, she knew there was something special to this gift, something that went far beyond its age, far beyond the gold of it?s shell. Pictures, a lock of hair, the memories of traditional locket treasures flashed through her mind, as the hinge eased open.

Heero found he had little trouble keeping his eyes away from her present and centering on her. Her hair on the side facing him was tucked behind her ear, exposing the soft curve, and falling down over her shoulders. The tiny pearl studs at her ears picked up the vibrant coloring of her reddish sweater, looking very bright against her skin. Skin that he wanted to touch. Even Lauren didn?t know what this present was. He had thought of it only the day before, and had been graced with the good luck and knowledge to get it done so quickly. You could read many things into it, but he couldn?t think about that now. Today was not the day for questioning, that could all come tomorrow.

The inside of the locket shone, but not from any effects given by the gold. It was instead a painting, a blue ocean that looked as if it would be rough to the touch, surrounding the tiny continents so clearly recognizable. Even the north and south poles were there, done in white. It was the world in a locket, the world in a heart.

Did he... could he... How was it that he had once again found a gift that puzzled her with its possible meanings?

?It?s beautiful,? she murmured. ?Heero...? she paused and gave up on questions. ?Thank you... so much.?

?It was yours to begin with,? he said with a half smile.

Again she was puzzled. The world had been hers, or the heart? Her heart... or his?
Lauren ended her thinking by handing Heero the gift she had begged Relena to get for Lauren?s special gift to him. She had reservations about it, but the little girl had been insistent. It symbolized Lauren?s feelings, and she held her breath to see Heero?s reaction to it.

He opened the package with little finesse, the box lid being flipped aside haphazardly. His brow furrowed as he read the words printed on the blue shirt. ?Because I?m the Daddy, That?s Why.? Lauren was turned away from her, but Relena could almost imagine the look of anticipation on her face. Her nails dug even deeper into the couch as Heero with a vulnerable, open look to the girl; as if a word from her could crush him.

?I never had a daddy. I don?t want to leave, Heero! Please, would you... would you be *my* daddy??

It took only one arm to scoop the child off the couch and into his chest.

?As long as you want me to be,? he said into her shoulder. ?And even longer than that.?

From her place against Heero, Lauren looked to Relena and held out her hand. Once Relena had taken the girl?s hand in hers Lauren?s smiled widened.

?I have a daddy, now.?

Relena wasn?t sure she could have gotten words out right then, so she merely squeezed Lauren?s fingers. The moment passed for Lauren quickly, and she was ready to move onto the last present. It made Relena feel slightly foolish; her gift seemed like so little now, comparatively. As Lauren slid back to her place on the couch, Heero seemed to spend several moments looking away fiercely before finally looking back towards them. He considered the box he had been handed if it were a bomb bound to go off at any second. He looked somewhat scared of it, and rightfully so due to the emotional impact of the previous present.

?Heero,? Relena said gently. ?It won?t bite.?

The paper came off exposing a thick, oblong box. Nestled inside was a watch, not prissy or ostentatious, but containing just enough class to make it fine. He picked it up, examining it, and stopped as he saw the inscription on the back: ?A time for peace? it read. He looked to her then, and she smiled.

?It seemed appropriate. Besides, the one you?re wearing is about to walk off your arm in protest of long life.?

He could admit that one. It was as battered and scarred now as he was. The new one was comfortable and right. Her gift was personable... and functional as well.

?Thank you.?

She would have gracefully accepted his thanks, and added some more, except that he suddenly turned shy. His new mission in life: set up Lauren?s toys. And because it was fun, and right, it became her mission, too.

***

[Numena]

Wow!
I love this fic! And this was an amazing chapter! I really can't wait to see what happens next! Please, please update again soon...

[blackrose]

I thought it was simply wonderful. Just... *sobs* TOO SHORT!

*hugs*

I needed this. Now, how about chapter 8?

Love,
Rose

[Beer-monster]

Aaaaw! This fic is just sooooo adorable.

:-?


Ahem! I mean that in the most manly way of course.

< Beer-monster opens a six pack and grunts loudly to reaffrim his masculinity>

Anyway love the fic can't wait for chapter 8.