Around This Life chapter one

[Litia-sama]

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. I just love to write. A lot.

AN: I?ve decided that Relena is going to be like a narrator in this story. Her thoughts from the ?storyteller?s? point of view will be italicized while the story she?s ?telling? will be normal. I went back and watched the beginning of Gundam Wing in preparation for this fic, because it?s AU. I was trying to answer a question: what would Relena be like if the war hadn?t happened? I wanted to make her character accurate to that for this fic, since the war that took place on the show did change all the characters in one way or another. Also, the time period for this fic is unspecific, but I guess it fits in somewhere before the colonies, and Relena?s mom is a real b#%!@ in it, just to warn you. So, here?s chapter one of the 2xRx3 triangle that is going to take forever, and hopefully be worth every second. Enjoy.

Around This Life

Chapter One

As I said before, it all started with Duo. The love of my life. He made me so incredibly happy. I couldn?t be sad around him, not ever. I was always happy. Always. I think that was the first thing to go when my world started to crumble.

Because of my mother.

?Relena, come downstairs. We have a guest.?

Mother sounded irritated, so I knew Duo must have come over. I glanced at the clock and cringed. 10:30. I?d overslept.

I threw the covers off myself and stretched, long and languidly. The sun was peeking through the curtains and making bright lines across my floor and onto my bed. I let one of my hands sway back and forth over the lines, admiring the way the shadows of my fingers danced against the sunlight. In moments like these, moments that only occur when I first wake up, I feel carefree and childlike again. These are my favorite moments, and also the moments I?m most ashamed of.

As if I didn?t have enough to be ashamed of.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up, stretching again. Stretching upon awakening warms up your muscles and allows you to move more freely, or so I?m told. One of the many ?useless little things? that Duo was constantly reminding me I shouldn?t worry myself with. He was carefree all the time. People told me I was benign. They also told me I was wise.

What I interpreted as wisdom was merely someone thinking way too much, since that?s what I did and that?s how people described me. As I dressed and brushed my hair, hurriedly so I could get down and see Duo, I wondered why people thought of me the way they did. They saw me as something surreal, I was sure of it. Everyone looked at me as though I were something special. To me, I was just Relena. To everyone else, I was Relena. I knew they all needed me for something, but I don?t think any of us knew what it was.

By ?us? I mean ?me and the rest of the world.?

I guess I gave up formality, to a degree. I stopped seeing the point in being proper all the time. Why put on a show just to please someone else? If they can?t accept me for me, then why are they around me? I became immature around my mother, but only around my mother. I wanted her to know of my distaste for her distaste. It makes little sense, I know, but my mother often makes little sense.

The rest of the time, I was fine. ?Normal.? I was quiet and pacifistic and always concerned about those around me. If something came up, I was the first to ask the questions, I was the first to do the talking, and I was the first to try to fix it. I can?t stand it when people fight over trivial things. It makes very little sense to me. I realize that they must have their reasons for getting angry or upset by whatever it was, but throwing punches and starting a brawl over something small and insignificant seems totally meaningless to me.

When I went downstairs, I couldn?t help the fact that my heart was racing. Duo. It was always a treat to see him. I didn?t need to be perfect and proper around Duo, I just needed to be me. That?s all he wanted, and that?s all I could give. When I reached the doorway to the living room I noticed that no one was there. No mother. No Duo. My heart slowed to its regular dull rhythm.

Maybe it wasn?t Duo.

?There you are!? my mother?s voice called out behind me. I turned around and found myself staring at the source of the voice and the source of my constant happiness. Duo. He was wearing his typical outfit, consisting of a white short-sleeved shirt and black pants. To me, he looked adorable. To my mother, he must have looked horrid. Especially with his exceptionally long braid.

I wondered briefly if her vexation with him was part of the reason he refused to cut it.

Mother glanced at Duo, nodded a ?polite? farewell, and hurried off to another part of the house. With three floors full of rooms she was bound to find something to do. As soon as she was gone, Duo gave me that mischievous smile of his that meant he?d done something I would either love or hate. Rather than tell me, he walked over and swept me up in his arms, swinging me around and hugging me close. He set me down and rested his cheek against mine, warming me from the inside out. I didn?t even know I?d been cold. Maybe I wasn?t, and his warmth just made me think I was always cold when I wasn?t around him.

After a moment he pulled his face away and gazed into my eyes. Even at that moment, his eyes were still filled with laughter. I smiled in spite of myself. There was no one else in the world like Duo.

?I heard there was a pretty lady in need of a husband,? he said, his voice low and quiet. I knew immediately that he was going to make a joke.

Mother had been talking to all her friends about my imprudence. About how it would be so easy to find me a husband.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and hummed out, ?Maybe she?s already got her eye on one.?

He grinned.

?And who?s the lucky man??

I gave him a soft kiss on the lips and whispered, ?A boy named Maxwell,? into his ear.

He chuckled and spun me around in his arms again. It was one of those moments, the ones that stick out in your mind forever as an endless, wonderful memory.

?I love you,? I murmured when he set me back on my feet again. He smiled and grabbed my hand, spinning it over my head and causing me twirl around in a circle. I laughed at our spectacle.

Only Duo made me laugh like that.

?Come with me,? he said. I asked him where and he said, ?Somewhere.?

?Alright,? I replied, delighted. I was currently not working and had already graduated from the required schooling, so I had nothing to do during the days but sit and think. Usually about Duo.

I had just turned eighteen. I suspected that mother was plotting to marry me off, but my only intentions were to be wed to Duo. That afternoon plays in my memory as though it were still happening. I had never been so happy, and so frightened, in all my life.

We drove in Duo?s car to our favorite spot. The place where we first kissed. It was a drop-off into a deep pool, where a waterfall continually fell over the side. The waterfall was rather small, but it had the effect of a thousand hands massaging you at once when it fell against your back. Our first kiss was under that waterfall.

We were kissing there now.

I hadn?t expected to come here today, so when we arrived and Duo jumped in with all his clothes on, I followed. We swam around and splashed each other for a while, but eventually ended up under the waterfall with our hands in each other?s hair. This was the only place where Duo was bold enough to press his tongue against mine. Somehow, he always tasted like mint.

Maybe he ate mint every time he brought me here because he knew we?d end up kissing like this.

He placed his hands on either side of my face and stood back, staring at me. He looked bemused.

?Why do you love me??

His question took me off guard. I didn?t know why I loved him I just?did. There was never a question of why.

I moved his bangs aside with my hand and answered, ?Because you?re you.?

He pulled me to him and kissed the top of my head. He let out a deep breath and whispered, ?Then marry me.?

I froze. Did he really just say that?

?I?m tired of this,? he went on, speaking quickly. ?I?m tired of wishing and hoping and dreaming that someday you?ll be my wife. You?re eighteen now. We both are. Why can?t we just ditch your mother and get hitched??

I would have giggled at his words if not for their seriousness. ?I can?t,? I said, ?If I leave my mother I can never go back.?

?Then don?t go back,? he said. He separated himself from me and held my hand. Droplets of water dripped down his face, and I was tempted. I wanted to leave, with him, but I knew I couldn?t. She was my mother, and I loved her.

I couldn?t leave her.

I shook my head. ?I have to. I love her, and I love you. Someday she?ll accept you, you?ll see.?

He scoffed. ?The day she accepts me as being ?good enough? for her daughter is the day I make myself useful as a big bag of fertilizer.?

I put my hand over his mouth. ?You know what, let?s not talk about it anymore,? I said. I hated the thought that I might have to choose between my mother and the best thing in my life.

His eyes widened and he pulled my hand away. ?That?s it!?

I blinked. ?What?s it??

He grabbed my shoulders and yanked me forward, kissing me so passionately that I was momentarily mindless. When he stopped we were both breathless.

?We won?t tell her!? he exclaimed. It took a moment for the meaning to sink in. I gasped.

?No??

?We don?t have to tell her!? he repeated, his eyes afire. He smiled so brightly at me that the thought of keeping an engagement between us a secret seemed like a natural, sensible thing to do.

?I guess it makes sense,? I said, working through the implication in my head. ?Someday she?ll accept you, and when she does we can announce our engagement to everyone. But-? Our eyes met and a dreamy, love-filled look passed between us.

He kissed me again. ?No ?buts?. Why didn?t we think of this before? We?re such geniuses.? I laughed.

?No, you?re a genius. I?m just a genius?s girlfriend.?

?Fianc?,? he corrected me.

I smiled. ?Fianc?.?

And that?s how it began.

* * *

I arrived at home about 5:30 P.M., just in time for dinner. I had a strange feeling when Duo dropped me off, but I pushed it aside. Nothing could ruin my good mood.

I was going to be Duo?s wife.

I was beyond happy.

I walked inside the front door and knew right away that something was up. I heard Mother?s laughter floating into the main hall from the living room. I walked over towards the doorway and stopped when I realized I was still soaking wet.

Duo and I had gone to lunch and then gone to see a movie, but ended up back at the waterfall again. We ran to the car after we got out of the water because the air was cold. We jumped into the car, soaking wet and freezing, and laughed at ourselves all the way back to my house.

The fact that I was still dripping wet must have slipped my mind during our goodnight kiss, because until that moment I had forgotten my initial plan to just run to my room and change. I attempted to back away from the doorway until I heard ?Relena?? and stopped.

I heard Mother saying something but couldn?t make out the words. The sounds of two pairs of feet moving toward the doorway made my heart race. Mother had guests and I wasn?t presentable?

I stayed in my spot.

??and this is-? my mother said as she appeared in the doorway. She stopped dead in her tracks and wore a look of complete and total shock. I felt satisfied that her guest would do the same.

When he appeared in the doorway, my rapidly beating heart slowed, stopped, and started beating rapidly again.

?Relena?? he said, finishing my mother?s introduction for her. I nodded dumbly.

?It?s an honor to meet you. My name is Trowa Barton.?

I nodded again. I felt like a little girl ogling at the handsome movie star.

Mother seemed to come to her senses all of a sudden. She looked furious and Mr. Barton looked?looked?

Impressed.

?Relena,? she said curtly, ?You and Mr. Barton will be spending a lot of time together from now on. A lot of time.?

I looked away from Mr. Barton to tried and focus on my mother, but my eyes kept darting back to him. I steadied myself and stuttered out, ?What-? I paused, suddenly apprehensive, ?What for??

?To get to know each other, of course,? Mother said, sounding quite pleased. ?He?s your fianc?.?

For a moment, my only thought was that I was still soaking wet.

[wicked]

Well it's obvious who I'd pick, but boy oh boy, I really wouldn't want to be in Relena's shoes. They're probably too small for me anyway.

Yes you're right in saying that Relena's mom is a bitch. How can you not like Duo? Especially when he's wearing a white shirt and black pants...then he gets wet.... Sorry going off into my own little world there. ^_^

But how can you hate Trowa? Just him standing there in enough to get me drooling like a...baby?...no...rabid dog?...no...well like something in any case. Trowa = Wicked drooling.

You say it's going to be a long one and let me tell ya, I'm here for the long haul. Oh yes indeedy do. I am most interested and can't wait to see what else you come up with.

~Wicked

[Litia-sama]

"You say it's going to be a long one and let me tell ya, I'm here for the long haul."

Thank you! I was hoping someone else besides me would like this. I haven't written a fic in which Relena is actually in love with both men and I'm hoping it turns out as well as it's going in my head. :razz: Oh yes, it's going to be long, but I'm glad somebody's along for the ride!


~Litia

[Beck]

ACK! Poor Rel, having to be put on the spot of making such critical decision with two lovely hot men. I can't believe how horrid of a mother she is to Rel and can not let the poor girl live her own damn life. Off to read the next part.

[Symee-Sama]

Duo or Trowa... Duo or Trowa? Damn it. I wouldn't be able to choose. Poor Rel. I REALLY don't like her mother, forcing a fiance on her? Normally, I wouldn't mind. Especially because it's Trowa, but she knew that Relena loved Duo... Anyway, good chapter! I'm off to see if I can find the next one!

Symee