Less Than Discreet Ch 4 PG 13

[Fatimai1]

Less Than Discreet Ch 4
I don?t own Gundam Wing

Noin turned towards them and flashed one of her sparkling smiles at Heero and walked past Relena, saying brightly, ?No, you?ve no need to tell us, Relena. We all know that this must be your husband??

Noin?s words were followed by complete silence. Relena gaped at Noin. Lady Une?s eye?s flickered from Relena?s stupefied face to Heero?s.
?Pleasure to meet you Mr. Lowe,? Noin went on, as if she had said nothing out of the ordinary. ?I am Mrs. Peacecraft, the queen of the house,? she joked ?but you may call me Noin, since you?re part of the family now.?
Heero recovered well, smiling at her and giving her a slight bow. ?It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lady.?
He turned toward Relena, and a look of pure fury flashed from his eyes. He was convinced that she had played him a fool, had for some strange reason maneuvered him into this situation.
Noin too, looked at Relena. ?Oh, dear,? she said moped. ?I hope I haven?t completely spoiled your surprise.?
?Oh. No, of course not,? Relena responded faintly.
Noin started toward them once more. Heero, smiling warmly down at Relena, curled his hand around Relena?s wrist and squeezed it in a most un-lover like grip. Heero close to her ear, he whispered, ?What the hell do you think you?re doing? Whatever you hope to trap me into, I promise you, it won?t work.?
Relena couldn?t control the irritation that flashed her features. ?I have no idea what?s going on,? she whispered back, baring her teeth in what she hoped would pass for a smile. ?I know nothing about this.?
Heero?s eyes told her that he would like to pursue the point further, but by that time Noin was upon them. She took Relena?s hands in hers, squeezing them significantly. ?I know you wanted me to keep the news a secret, but I was simply so elated when I received your message that I couldn?t resist telling everyone the news. Please forgive me Relena.?
?Yes, of course.? Relena had recovered her poise and her senses well enough to know that she had no choice but to play along with her sister-in-law?s outrageous statements.
?So unexpected,? Lady Une put in, and Relena could feel Lady Une?s eyes boring into her.
Relena forced herself to meet her gaze, hoping that she looked adequately calm and in control.
?Yes, wasn?t it??
Noin went on, ?I?m sure you must be very tired after traveling from the colonies.? Squinting at Relena, she leaned closer to whisper, ?Is that mud on your neck??
Relena put a hand to her neck. ?Yes, I am rather tired,? she agreed, seizing on the opportunity to get out of the room.
?I?We got lost.?
?How awful. You must go up to your room and rest.? Noin took her arm, starting towards the door, but Lady Une?s voice stopped her.
?Now, Noin,? She said. ?We won?t allow you to steal Relena away like that. We are very anxious to hear about the wedding details. It isn?t often that something so?unexpected happens. And I?m curious as to how none of the press were able to take pictures. Also, Mr. Lowe still hasn?t spoken to Quatre or Dorothy.?
Noin was forced to turn back slightly. Then Relena took Heero?s hand and brought him forth to greet the other quests.
Dorothy spoke up first. ?It?s wonderful to meet the next king...? She spoke and watched Relena?s face with curiosity and amusement.
?Have you been here long?? Relena inquired politely.
Dorothy merely smiled and turned toward her brother Quatre who answered, ?Somewhat, by the way Relena, I?ve missed you since our last meeting.? He said, looked serious into her eyes.
Relena smiled back at him.
?Oh Relena,? Dorothy spoke up again, ignoring Quatre. ?We?ve brought a friend of ours from the colonies with us, her name?s Sylvia Noventa.?
?Oh? I hadn?t heard??
?Well, yes,? Quatre answered. ?She came a few days ago, hope you don?t mind. She?s already in her guest room because of the lateness of the evening though.?
?I?m sure we?ll be able to get acquainted tomorrow morning.? Relena assured them.
?Relena, tell us all about the wedding details.? This came forth from Lady Une, who was watching the conversation with jaded eyes.
Relena hesitated, her head sinking; there was a glint in Lady Une?s eyes that told Relena the woman didn?t believe that she was married at all. She could understand why, she knew that she must have looked as if she had been slapped in the face when Noin called Heero her husband. What had Noin been thinking of? Now Lady Une was going to quiz her for all the details of the wedding that she knew nothing about, and Relena couldn?t imagine how she was going to invent them without tripping herself up.
Much to her surprise and relief, Heero reached out an imperious hand and took her arm, stopping her. ?No, my dear. I?m afraid I must exercise a husband?s right and not agree for you to indulge in cozy gossip tonight. You?re too tired.?
Relena turned to him, gaping. He had spoken in the tone of command, and there was on his face a haughty look that brooked no denial. He appeared to the world as if he were a descendent of generations of kings and wealth, instead of her. Heero turned toward Lady Une with an expression of arrogance and faint egotism that was precisely the attitude that would impress and quell her, no matter how much it might make her bristle with annoyance.
?Lady Une, I look forward to talking with you tomorrow. But right now I must insist that we go to bed. Relena has had a very tiring day, I?m afraid?the constraint of traveling, you know?and I fear that her health is more delicate than she would like us to believe. I?m sure she would, if left to her, would weary herself into satisfying your curiosity. Fortunately, she now has a husband to take care of her.?
He smiled benignly at Relena, and she shot him a look that should have wounded him but instead only seemed to make him amused. She would?ve liked to tell him what he could do with his ?husbandly rights? but right now it suited her own desire to be taken away from Lady Une. So she smiled up at him with sickening sweetness and batted eyes, cooing, ?Whatever you say, dearest.?
She found her reward in the flummoxed expression that stamped Lady Une?s face?as well as the involuntary twitch of Heero?s lips. He had such nice lips, too, she thought, firm and well cut. She found herself looking at him for a moment longer than was necessary, and only the questioning look in his eyes brought her back to her senses and made her turn away.
?Of course,? Lady Une countered. ?That?s most understandable. I saw servants bringing suitcases to the East-Wing; I assume you and your husband will be staying in your old room, Relena.?
Relena stiffened. ?The same room?? She stopped as she realized how idiotic her words sounded. Of course a husband and wife would have the same room. She looked at Noin, hoping for a way out, but her sister-in-law was mute, her eyes wide with horror.
?Uh, that is?I?I assumed that we would have two rooms. Connecting rooms.? A flush rose up her face.
Lady Une chuckled, raising a hand to her mouth. ?But how odd...?
Relena?s blush deepened. ?Um, well, yes. I mean, there are?well?? She stumbled to a halt, casting a desperate look at Heero.
Heero took over smoothly. ?What my wife is trying to say, is that there are special circumstances, which would make it a lot better if we had separate rooms.? There was a long pause, and then he went on, ?Concisely, Relena snores and it makes it very difficult for me to sleep.?
Relena let out a strangled noise, and Heero turned toward her blandly. ?Yes, my dear??
There was a muffled laugh from the direction of Dorothy, and Quatre seemed to have suddenly acquired a cough. Relena thought with delight of kicking Heero?s leg. There was nothing she could do or say, she had wanted him to say something to get her out of the dreadful situation. She couldn?t deny his words now.
?Oh?? Lady looked from Heero to Relena, and Relena could see a flash of triumph as she went on. ?My dear, separate rooms are a bit difficult right now. With the many of the servants already asleep and us as your guests, there is so little space available.?
Relena gritted her teeth. She could hardly insist. It was obvious that Lady didn?t believe the marriage?and it was no wonder. It was all one lie built on another and each one more outrageous than the last. It would be easier to just tell the truth now but the embarrassment was just too much to bear. And Milliardo?s disappointment in her would be hard enough, but worse than that, his anger was something Relena wasn?t ready to confront just yet.
So she clamped back her words that wanted to rise from her throat. Pulling her lips into a smile, she said ?Of course. It isn?t that important. Heero exaggerates sometimes, don?t you darling??
Bidding everyone good-nights, Relena put her hand on Heero?s arm, and they left the room.
?What the hell is going on here?? Heero growled at Relena once they were safely out of earshot.
?I don?t know.? Relena moaned. ?Obviously, Noin must have told them that I was married instead, but I can?t imagine why. What am I going to do??
?Nothing at the moment, except try to act normal. Your Lady Une is already suspicious enough. Your persistence about getting two rooms didn?t help.?
?What did you except me to do?? Relena flared. ?We can?t sleep in the same room.?
?No? Then what can we do? Do you want to go back in now and tell everyone that you made everything up? That I?m not your husband? That you never even had a fianc???
?What an awful mess I?ve made of everything.?
?You have to make the best of it now,? he told her unsympathetically. ?At the moment, I think that means being my living little wife. We?ll decide how to dell with the rest of this later.? He took a firm grip on her arm and propelled her across the hall, toward the stairs. ?Where?s your bedroom? Up here??
Relena nodded, irritated at his domineering attitude rising in her.
?Just a minute. What do you think you?re doing? You?re not in charge here.?
?Obviously, neither are you,? he retorted, inexorably leading her up the stairs. ?As for what I?m doing, I?m getting us up to a room where we can close the door and discuss this without worrying about servants or guests hearing us.?
Relena grimaced. She could hardly argue with his reasoning, but the way he was assuming command irritated her.
?Relena! Wait!?
Both of them turned to see Noin at the bottom of the stairs, following them. She waved to Relena to stop and hurried up after them. ?Oh, Relena,? she cried softly as she neared them, holding out her hands toward them. ?Can you ever forgive me? I?m so, so sorry.?
Her big blue eyes sparkled with tears. Relena took her hands and squeezed them.
?Of course I can forgive you. Anything. You know that.?
?Thank you. You don?t know how that relieves me. I was worried that you were upset with me.?
?I could never be upset at you.? Relena took her arm and lead her down the hall toward her bedroom, Heero following behind them. ?But I don?t understand what?s going on. Why did you say he was my husband??
They reached the door to Relena?s bedroom and walked inside. A small fire burned in the fireplace, and a lamp was lit, giving the room a soft golden glow.
?If I had thought about it, I would?ve realized that it would bring you trouble. But I couldn?t stand it. You know how Lady Une is.?
?Well, I don?t,? Heero put in bluntly. ?What are you talking about??
?The reason I said you were Relena?s husband. It was because Lady Une was making me crazy?all those innuendos. She was convinced that you were lying. But your letters had sounded so convincing that even I sometimes thought you was engaged.?
?Yes, but what happened?? Relena asked, trying to bring her back on track.
?She kept asking why you were so vague about the wedding plans; she said it didn?t sound natural. A bride-to-be not gleaming over the news of her dress and fianc?. I should?ve thought of it because that was exactly how I was when I was engaged to your brother. Always talking about the dress and flowers??
?Mrs. Peacecraft?? Heero reminded her flatly.
?Oh, one day, she said, right there in front of Milliardo that she thought you didn?t really intend to marry at all, because you hadn?t set a date. She didn?t go so far as to say that you had lied about the whole thing because you know Milliardo would never tolerate her if she did. But she said, that she thought you were getting cold feet, and she reminded him of how you had no intention of wedding at all.?
?So you, of course, decided to tell her that I had already married.?
?I didn?t mean to, I opened my mouth and somehow it just came out I told her I had spoken to you and your fianc? had gotten married two weeks ago.?
Relena let out a low moan.
?I?m sorry Relena. But once I?d said it, what could I do? I didn?t think it would do any harm.? She paused, then added resentfully, ?I never dreamed you would bring a man with you. I thought you would appear by yourself with some excuse why you why your fianc? didn?t come with you. And since we would only be speaking about him, what difference would it make if it were your fianc? or husband??
?Of course,? Heero agreed. ?A simple touch.?
Noin smiled at him, pleased by his understanding, and said, ?Exactly. I?m so glad that you say so.? She turned to Relena. ?Where did you find him? I don?t know how you managed to come up with him.?
?I paid him,? Relena told her blundly.
Noin?s eyes widened. ?You mean you bought a husband??
?Actually, she only bought a fianc?,? Heero stuck in ?Now that I?m a husband, maybe I should charge more. What do you think?Relena?? she looked up and realized it was the first time he had said her name.
?I think this is scarcely the time for humor.? She turned back to Noin. ?I don?t mean that I bought a husband, I meant that I?m paying him to pretend to be my fianc?.?
?Odd,? Noin said thoughtfully.
?But that doesn?t matter now. What?s important is that Lady Une and Milliardo think that we?re married.?
Noin moaned. ?If Milliardo ever finds out he would kill your fake husband and me with him for keeping such a secret.?
?It?s all right Noin. Don?t worry about it. We?ll manage.?
Noin continued to look distressed. ?But?Relena, you can?t?I mean?you know how Milliardo is about your reputation. If this ever gets out??
?No, please, Mrs. Peacecraft,? Heero said suddenly, coming forward. ?Don?t upset yourself. Relena, you?re taking this joke too far.? He smiled down into Noin?s eyes, exerting a charm that Relena had since not witnessed. ?My queen, you must forgive Relena. She?s teasing you because she is annoyed that you stole her idea.?
Noin looked confused.
?What are you talking about?? Relena snapped. ?Stole my idea??
?Yes. Relena wanted to surprise you. She thought it would be such a good joke, after all this sham about a fianc?, when she arrived here already married. All I can think is that you must have a sixth sense to have thought of it. The fact is Relena and I really are married.?
Relena gaped at him momentarily lost of words. Noin?s face, on the other hand, after few moments of serious stare at Heero, lit up with a smile. ?This is brilliant. Everything is all right. I won?t have to worry anymore. And this is exactly what your brother wanted although not quite what I thought it would be.?
In the face of Noin?s delight, Relena found that she couldn?t do anything except give her a sticky smile.
?Yes it is.?
?Now, Noin,? Heero said smoothly. ?I hope I may call you that now, since I feel like I know you. Relena talks a lot about you?but we should save the questions for tomorrow. Relena will love to tell you the whole story.?
Noin smirked at him. ?Is that so?? She knew he was trying to charm her out. ?I?m sure it must have been dreadfully romantic.?
?Yes, it was. But Relena is very tired right now. It was a long trip.?
?I?m sure it was. I won?t say another word.? Noin gave Relena a roguish smile while hugging and planting a kiss on her cheek. ?Until tomorrow.?
Then Noin turned to Heero. ?Good night, Mr.-? Noin paused. ?I?m sure Mr. Lowe isn?t your real name.?
?No. But for the moment, it would be better to pretend to be.?
?Yes, you?re right.? Still beaming, Noin gave them a playful waggle of her fingers and left the room.
As soon as the door closed behind her, Relena swung toward Heero. ?What in the world do you think you?re doing? Are you crazy??
?No. In fact, I?m trying to bring a little order into this crazy situation. You?re gong to have to make up a story about the wedding. I?m sure that you can think of something suitably romantic. And I?m sure you?ll have to make me die now?or a divorce. But I?m sure they?ll want to see the papers. So I?ll have Trowa fax over a false marriage certificate in the morning.?
?You?re sure! You prefer! How can you assume to tell me what to do? Or to change my plans? My story? Mr.?Heero.? She used his first name since she would?ve felt foolish calling him by his pretended name. ?I think you forget that you?re my employee.?
?How could I forget that?? he responded dryly. ?You constantly remind me.?
?Well, you don?t act like you?re aware of it. I?m the one who will make the decisions about what we do, not you. It is, after all, my plan.?
?Actually, it was Trowa?s. You and I, as I remember, just drank the punch and listened.?
Relena flushed and tried to remember how many cups of that punch she had drunk. Three? Four? The more she thought of it, the more she was inclined to believe that she had been under the influence of the rum when she had agreed to the scheme.
?Yes, it was Mr. Barton?s plan.? She said tidily. ?But it was my story to begin with, and I?m the one who hired you. That means that you follow my orders, not tell me what to do.?
?If you think that I?m going to let a girl run my life, you?re sadly mistaken,? Heero retorted, dropping his teasing tone. He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and looked straight down into her eyes, saying in a cold voice. ?You may be paying me money, and it may be your idiotic little story that we are playing, but I?m in this thing, like it or not, and as long as I am, I plan to make sure it goes as smoothly and cleanly as possible. You and your sister-in-law have obviously already created a web of lies that everyone, including that Lady Une, could see through. The only one who is probably convinced is your brother, who loves you too much to believe otherwise and chooses to be deluded.?
Relena drew in her breath sharply, but he put his hand over her lips.
?No. Hear me out. If you have any sense at all, then you saw tonight that Lady Une doesn?t believe your story. And unless I?m greatly mistaken, she would love to prove your brother wrong. So it?s up to us to make sure that she doesn?t have any opportunity to do that.?
?Yes. That?s what I intend to do. It?s why I hired you. But that has nothing to do with you acting as if you were the one in charge.?
Heero gave an exasperated sigh. ?If we?re going to do this, then we?re going to do this right.?
?Are you saying that I can?t do it right?? Relena inquired icily.
He ignored her tone, saying reasonably, ?No, not that you can?t. But up until now you haven?t. I hope that you?re capable, because if you?re not, we?re doomed.?
Relena was so flooded with fury that for the moment she couldn?t speak.
Heero went on as if nothing was wrong. ?We can?t continue with you and Noin saying anything that pops up in your heads. We have to have a story and stick to it that?s number one.? He held up his hand, starting to tick off the numbers.
?I agree. But that doesn?t mean that you?ll be the one to make up the story. And why did you tell Noin that we were married? We don?t need to fool her. She already knew the truth. It just makes one more lie we have to tell.?
?No. it means one less opportunity to let the truth slip up. If she knows the truth, she?s likely to slip up and say something. If she really thinks we?re married, then she can?t. And tell her not to say anything that pops in her head, that if you do, you?ll deny it and she?ll look stupid.?
?I can?t say that to her! She?s like a sister to me!?
?I?m sure she?s a wonderful woman.? He replied disinterestedly.
?You don?t even know her!?
?I don?t need to know her.?
?You?re the most insulting man I have ever met.?
?I?m sure. But that has nothing to do with what we?re talking about.?
?Yes it does. I don?t want Noin to think that I?m actually married to someone as boorish as you.?
?Tell her I have lots of money. That always makes up for boorishness. Besides, just think how satisfying it?ll be when you can tell everyone that I died.?
?Perhaps we could arrange an accident tomorrow.? Relena said pointedly.
A smile flashed briefly across his face, surprising her. ?At least you have a sense of humor.?
?But what kind of death story will should I say??
?I don?t know. You?re the one who?s so creative. Ordinary is the most believable,? he pointed out. ?And the easiest.?
?All right.? Relena sighed and turned away. For the first time since they entered the room, she became aware of it?the soft light, the intimate setting?the large bed that dominated the room. She swallowed hard. She was going to spend the night alone in this room with a strange man. Relena cast a nervous glance back at Heero. ?Don?t worry,? he said, interpreting her look. ?There is nothing wrong with sleeping with your ?husband?, and when you get rid of me, you?ll just be a widow and no one will ever know.?
?Except me. And you.?
He regarded her for a moment, then said. ?Don?t worry yourself. I have never taken an unwilling woman, and I don?t plan to start now. Least of all with you.?
Relena drew a sharp breath at the casual insult, her eyes flying to his face. He chuckled. ?What? Do you think I would want you the entire time we?re together? Sorry, but I prefer a woman with more experience. Shy virgins aren?t for me.?
?I see,? Relena said sharply. ?Then you prefer a woman who sells herself??
?All women sell themselves. It?s just the price that varies.?
Relena stared at him, amazed. ?I hate to think how you acquired that view of women.?
He gave a small, humorless laugh.
Relena turned away. She went to the window and pushed aside the drapes, gazing down into the moon washed garden below. ?How can you do this?? she asked slowly. ?How can you pretend to be married with such a view of women??
?I think we?re straying from the subject. We need to sleep in the same room to convince everyone we?re married, so I give you my word that I won?t seduce you or force you.?
Relena?s cheeks pinkened at his blunt words. ?But what will you?I mean, where will you sleep??
?I?ll sleep on this couch, then later we can tell everyone we had one of those lover?s fight and you kicked me out of the room.?
Relena looked at the couch on the side of the large window. ?It?s too short for you. You?ll be uncomfortable.?
He cocked an eyebrow at her. ??Maybe you would like to sleep on the couch. No? I didn?t think so. Just give me a blanket and a pillow, I?ll be fine. I?ve slept in worse places before.?
?All right.? Relena started toward the bed to get the pillow, but he caught her wrist as she turned away.
?Wait. That?s not all.?
?What do you mean??
?I mean that we haven?t finished talking.?
?Why not??
?Sleeping together isn?t enough to convince everyone. When you were speaking to me just now, you didn?t meet my eyes. You didn?t smile. You treated me like a stranger, not like a woman who?s in love with her husband.?
Her eyes widened. ?I didn?t realize??
?I know. That?s what will ruin us. However you dislike me or think me unworthy of you, you must look at me as a man you loved.?
?I?I?m not sure how that is?? Relena could feel a flush rising in her face.
He looked disbelieving. ?You mean that you?ve never been in love? Or at least had a crush??
?I would think from your words earlier that you wouldn?t believe a woman capable of feeling it.? Relena reminded him wryly.
He allowed himself a small smile. ?No doubt I spoke too harshly. Women can love. I know a woman that when her husband enters the room, her face glows as if the sun came back into her life.? His voice was low and a little wistful. ?She smiles up at him with a look in her eyes as if?? He shrugged. ?I?m not sure?as if they were they only two in the room. At a party, they always drift back together, as though they can?t stand to be apart.?
His words stirred Relena. She thought of loving a man like that, of feeling as if every fiber of her being were being drawn to him. ?How does he look at her??
?Like he could consume her.?
?Is that how you want me to look at you?? Relena gazed up into his face, softened a little now, and darkly handsome. She wondered how if would feel to look at him as if she loved him, to have him return the look. It made her feel strange.
Heero made no reply for a moment. Her blue eyes were huge and dark in the dim light. He remembered the feel of her soft body beneath him as they had rolled in the mud, the sexual intimation as he had sat up, pinning her beneath him. He thought of sleeping on the couch less than ten feet away from her.
He swallowed and stepped back, saying gruffly, ?Yes. We?re supposed to know each other intimately.?
?Yes. You?re right. I understand that, I?I will try to look at you?that way?? she trailed off, embarrassed, looking everywhere but at him. But Heero didn?t notice because he turned from and stared off, as if in deep thought. ?We also have to spend a lot of time together,? he went on. ?Newlyweds are always together.? He hadn?t thought of this when he had agreed. It would limit his movements but he would have to find a way around that. The most important thing was to make the marriage seem real, or else everyone would be suspicious of him, and he wouldn?t be able to learn anything about what happened to Wufei.
?Okay.? Relena didn?t like the idea of being around Heero all the time, but it made sense.
?We can go walking together. You can show me the beach.?
Relena nodded. ?We can go horseback riding.?
He paused, taping his forefinger thoughtfully against his lips. ?What else?? His head came up sharply. ?A ring.?
?A ring?? Relena drew in a breath as she realized what he was talking about. She looked down at her bare left hand. ?I didn?t think of that.?
?I had thought about the fact that there was no engagement ring but I hoped that somehow we could scrape through. But you must have a wedding ring.?
?I have rings, but everyone?s seen them all, and none of them are really suitable for a wedding ring.?
Heero reached inside his coat, strode forward, holding out a ring on the palm of his hand. ?Here. Use this.?
Relena?s eyes widened. It was a beautifully engraved gold ring, centered with a blood red ruby. She reached out and took it between her fingertips, bringing it closer for examination.
?But?it?s beautiful!?
?I hope you didn?t think I was a thief without taste.?
?Oh.? Relena?s delight in the ring?s beauty lessened. ?You stole it.?
?Say something romantic about it. Like it was my mother?s or something. And,? he added scowling, ?Whatever you do?don?t lost it.?
?I won?t. I promise.? Relena held up her hand, admiring the ring. It really was a beautiful ring. She wished she didn?t know that he stole it?
There was a knock at the door, startling them both. The door opened to reveal a young maid dressed in a plain grey and black uniform.
?Excuse me, princess. But I?ve come to assist you in preparation for the? evening.?
?How kind of you?? Relena murmured.
Relena glanced at Heero. An amused glint in his eye told her he was quite aware of her predicament.
?I,uh?? Relena glanced around her, trying to think of some excuse. She couldn?t get naked in front of HIM! But it would look odd if she didn?t.
?Why don?t you help me with my hair first??
As the maid came to assist her, hero lounged on the couch in which he was supposed to sleep in, watching her lazily. Maybe if she asked the maid to go downstairs and get her a drink, she could convince Heero to leave for a while. He was watching the maid begin to brush her hair out. And there was a strange look in his eyes. Why was he looking at her like that? What did it mean? It made her nervous and she wished he would stop.
After the maid finished, she started to unbutton Relena?s clothes. She tired to stop her, but she was suddenly dry.
?My dear.? Heero rose lithely from the sofa and strolled over to the vanity table. ?Forgive me, I?m going outside for a smoke.? He said to her gently. ?I know how you hate the smell.?
Relena glanced at him, amazed. ?Thank you.? He reached down and took her hand and raised it to his lips. The touch of his lips across her skin sent a shiver through her.
He walked out the door and Relena went limp with relief.
She hurried through with the maid, afraid that Heero would return too soon and see her naked. After the maid left, Relena closed the door behind the girl and turned the lamp down to it?s lowest. She wanted to be asleep by the time Heero got back.
As it turned out, she had quite a while to wait. She tossed and turned and squeezed her eyes shut over and over again, but sleep did not come. Only her boredom and a growing curiosity over where Heero was and what he was doing. She was at the point of wondering if he had gotten cold feet and left, until at last she heard the door to her room open quietly. She closed her eyes immediately, watching through her lashes as Heero eased into the room and shut the door softly behind him.
He glanced her way, then crossed the room almost sneakily. She wondered if he had waited so long to come back because he had been thoughtful of her or because maybe he just didn?t want to talk to her. She suspected it was for the latter reason. He shruggled out of his jacket and folded it, carefully laying it across the back of a chair. Relena?s chest tightened as she realized that he was about to undress.
She closed her eyes tightly at the thought. But she couldn?t resist opening them to a narrow slit again. She realized that she was violating his privacy even though he had been thoughtful of hers. But she shoved the thought aside. It wasn?t as if he was going to take off all his clothes, she told herself. She didn?t think he would sleep naked, but incase he did, she would close her eyes, she thought to herself.
Heero removed his white button down shirt then grabbed for the tight tee shirt underneath. He sat down on the couch and began to pull of his shoes-a gesture so masculine and at the same time so intimate that it stirred an odd sensation deep in her abdomen. His muscles moved beneath the skin of his arms as he tugged at his shoes.
Relena?s mouth went dry. His shoes came off now and he stripped off his socks and wiggled his feet appreciatively, leaning back against the couch with a sigh. His fingers went to work on his tie, and after a moment, he pulled it off and dropped it on the floor. Then he stood. Relena?s eyes traveled over him, from his muscled arms and shoulders to his narrow waist. She couldn?t control her curiosity enough to look away.
Heero turned away and walked over to the fireplace, and Relena studied his back. The muscles were thick along his shoulders and back, curving to the bony outline of his spine. Relena was aware of a curious desire to touch his back, to feel the contrast of hard bone and smooth muscle beneath the skin. When he had adjusted the fire to his liking, Heero turned, starting toward Relena?s bed. Relena barely suppressed a gasp, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She lay tensely, listening to the approach of his soft footsteps. He was almost there, she could sense his presense, but she didn?t dare open her eyes. He stood beside the bed for a long moment. Her heart raced. What was he doing? He leaned forward, and Relena could barely keep herself still from shrinking away from him.
He stretched over he. She could feel the heat of his body. Her throat tightened; she could scarcely breathe.
He picked up the pillow on the other side of her and straightened up. Tucking it under one arm, he pulled a blanket from the bed as well, and started toward the couch. Relena?s taut muscles went limp.
He turned back to look at her and, in a mocking whisper, asked, ?Well, Relena? Did you see enough to satisfy you??
He had known she was awake and watching him!
Her eyes flew open. He was standing two feet from her bed, his eyes alight with amusement.
Heat flooded her face, and she was glad for the concealing dimness of the room. In that moment, she hated him. She picked up the closest thing at hand, a pillow, and with an unintelligible shriek, she threw it at him. He laughed, ducking and lifting an arm to deflect the soft missile. He went and turned off the lamp and most of the room was covered in darkness. Relena lay in the darkness, still flooded with humiliation, and thought furious thoughts about him. It was even worse when, in a few minutes, she heard the slow and steady sound of his breathing and knew that he had fallen asleep, while she lay wide awake and thoroughly humiliated.
She tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position, but it seemed hopeless. She was still awake sometime later when the door to her room opened stealthily, and a man crept into the room?

****
Thank you every one who's read and posted for me. It's really nice.

[LilTrix]

This chapter was hilarious :razz:

I love it, keep 'em coming.

[Roa_Aoife]

You're really good at this cliff hanger thing. This is a great fic! Pease update soon. I must know what happens!

[takisha16]

Man! this chapter ha dme laughing my head off!!!!
Heero's lines were great, just perfect to save Relenas plot. They were hilarious, especially when Relena was annoyed with him and he looked perfectly composed.
jajajja
I love how Heero purposefully taunted her at the end.
I just hope that the man that just entered is not Zechs, and if it is I hope he does not question them about their sleeping arrangements.
I disagree with Relena in that choice. HELLOOOO??? this is Heero were talking about, if I were her I'd have no problem faking to be husband and wife
hope you update soon!

[perfectpeach]

LMAO! ong this is just so ripe!

[miz_lou]

Yeah!! New Chapter!!
I love it!! Relena and Heero got some good chemistry~
Who knew under that rough exterior, Heero could behave as a gentleman (promising to keep his hands to himself and leaving the room as Relena prepared for bed)...but he certainly does get entertainment out of Relena's predicament...poor Lena
And Relena's standing strong, true to her character, I'm glad she's keeping Heero under reign-who knows what his conniving mind can do on its own

I wonder if it isn't Quatre who entered, he seemed the most interested party when Relena first arrived... :-?

What is Heero going to do about the intruder?? And what is Milliardo going to do when *he* meets Heero?? ha ha, it's gonna be GREAT!

Keep it up Can't wait for the next chapter!!

~miz_lou

[miz_lou]

And Relena's standing strong, true to her character, I'm glad she's keeping Heero under reign-who knows what his conniving mind can do on its own

PS> At the end, whaddya think of Relena IGNORING Heero when he tauntingly asked if she has seen enough to satisfy her--I mean, he couldn't SEE her in the dark, and her ignoring him woulda made him start to doubt his confident self...although, something harder than a pillow woulda worked out nicely too ~oh the possiblities~

'til the next chapter!
miz_lou

[Raspberry]

Wow! Now this was amazing!!! I was so glued to screen that I forgot about the real world!

Great job and continue!

Anh Heer making pose for Relena... priceless

[lilac310]

this is so hilarious!!!..I echo almost everyone's statements to keep my post short...however, I have a question that I think no one has covered yet...What the HECK is Sylvia doing there? ::smirks::...hmmm, she would be a good rival for Relena in getting Heero's attention..lol..haha...I really can't wait for the next chapter.....this is way too much fun to read...I don't feel like stopping anytime soon..

::pokes Fatimai1:: .....Keep posting!!!

P.S. We should make a movie out of this!!!

[Sovereign of Silence]

OMG ! so niec weee keep it up