Very Many Little Things Night Two, Plan B
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2003 9:18 pm
AN:So, uh...how are you guys?
*is hit with a tomato*
Ow! Hey! I'm sorry!
I really meant to get this out sooner, but I decided (finally) that I wanted a beta reader and had to find one. It didn't take long, *winks at everyone who offered to beta read the upcoming lemon* but, being me, I had to rewrite this chapter a dozen times before I liked it enough to even THINK of having it beta read. Why, do you ask? Because this fic isn't mine and I want sooooooooo much to make it the best it can possibly be. So far I haven't been killed, so that's a good sign. I'm hoping that these next (last?) chapters are up to par with the rest of the fic, because when I first started working on it, around part three or four, I didn't know I would be the one to finish it. But, I like writing it. It's fun, it's new, and it's ending can go either way. And you know how much I loooooove those plot twists. 
So, here's hoping I can finish this fic BEFORE I have a meltdown from worrying about it. I apologize ahead of time for it being short, but the next chapter needs to have a LOT in it that just can't be seen this early. I probably should have thrown this onto the last chapter, but that one was overdue as well and I probably WOULD have been killed if I'd waited.
Please enjoy, and before I forget: Special thanks to Bella for the friendly reminders, to Rose for listening to my ranting, and to Shadow for beta-reading, and a big, huge, enormous thanks to everyone who's reviewed.
***As a bonus I'll tell you a secret. You know Quatre's and Duo's plans? For helping Relena seduce Heero? Well, Zechs has a scheme too that's barely mentioned at all until the chapter after this one. Know what it is?
...He made a bet on how long it takes Relena to win.
***
Disclaimer: Does anyone here own Gundam Wing??Anyone? No? Ok. Neither do I.
Very Many Little Things
Night Two, Plan B
?You wouldn?t believe how many people it takes to build a house in just two weeks,? Livia sighed as she sat down on the couch next to Trowa. He held a folder in his hands and was currently examining its contents.
?Quatre will have no trouble covering the costs,? he said back to her, without looking up. She leaned closer to him and peeked at the contents of the folder as well. There were pictures, several, in fact, of the house that had just been completed for Heero, Relena, and their expected child.
Livia grinned. ?Poor Quatre. He and the others have no idea how badly we?ve sabotaged their plan.?
This time Trowa set the folder down next to him and turned to face her, taking her hand in his and rubbing it absently with his thumb.
?It?s really Relena?s plan that we?ve sabotaged, but I don?t think she?ll mind when it?s over.?
She sighed again and rested her head on his shoulder. ?I can?t believe they made a bet on how long Heero would last. And why did Relena do this in the first place? Why not just tell him she was pregnant from the beginning, instead of all this??
Trowa ran a hand through her hair. ?Because, then she wouldn?t have her answer.?
Livia frowned. ?Answer to what??
Trowa closed his eyes, reveling in the feeling of being close to her.
?To whether or not she?s ready to be a mother.?
Livia thought about that for a minute, then asked suddenly, ?So, why are you and Heero doing this, again??
He chuckled. ?Because Relena can?t be beaten, and she knows it. That being the case, Heero needs to find a way to grant her wishes, as well as his own. This is the best way.?
?I still don?t see why you wanted Jake in this. He?s becoming suspicious of why I involved him.?
Trowa opened his eyes, an unfamiliar gleam passing through them.
?Payback?s a bitch,? he mumbled.
Livia sat up, catching the gleam before it disappeared. ?You?re not still sore about that, are you??
He looked away.
?Trowa, Heero was just trying to help you with your apprehensiveness. Can you honestly say that you would have approached me if Dave hadn?t made you so jealous??
He didn?t respond.
?Oh, I get it now. You?re trying to help Heero exactly the same way he helped you. Aren?t you??
He turned to face her but still didn?t respond.
?Well,? she said, laying her head back down on his shoulder, ?At least someone knows what?s going on, besides me. Zechs has been a big help, although I don?t know why. I wonder if Relena knows what we?re up to??
?Probably not.?
?So, Relena planned the celibacy scam, Quatre planned the house building, and Duo and Hilde planned Relena?s current success??
This time, Trowa smiled.
?It?s not her success.?
She frowned. ?How so? You said Heero gave up when he found out she was pregnant. How is it not her success??
Trowa?s smile turned wistful.
?Just because your opponent surrenders doesn?t mean you?re the victor,? he said.
The sound of her humming softly on the other side of the car wasn?t that bad, but the incessant tapping of her fingers against window was driving him beyond crazy.
He?d gotten her good in the restaurant. That was his way of paying her back for two days of constant tension, and even though this whole thing wasn?t necessarily over, it felt good to do something, even if it wasn?t for him.
Before they left the mansion, she?d told him everything. The plan, the pregnancy, the others? ?help?. What she hadn?t told him was why. He didn?t buy the whole, ?it was a distraction to keep you away while I had your anniversary present built? excuse. No, that was too simple. It couldn?t have anything to do with their sexual relationship, either. There?s no way she would think their sex life needed to improve. It probably couldn?t get any better. So why, why go on with this charade?
He decided it was time to ask.
?Heero,? Relena said, just as he was about to speak, ?What did Trowa say to you??
He pretended not to know what she was talking about. ?What??
?On the phone,? she said, turning to him, ?The other day, at the house you?d picked out. Trowa called you and you changed your mind. I just wanted to know what he said??
He didn?t know if he should answer that. When Trowa called, he?d told Heero that the others had a plan, but he didn?t actually tell Heero about his plan until they were face to face.
Play it cool, he thought to himself. ?Nothing consequential. He told me that Duo, Quatre, and the others had all come up with a plan to help me, but as it turns out, it was a plan to help you.?
He saw her blush. A good sign. She was loosening up.
?So, who?s idea was this to begin with??
She sighed next to him. Good. It was working. ?Heero, I told you earlier. It was MY idea to do this in the first place, Quatre and Duo were only trying to help.?
?I know,? he responded, ?I just don?t understand why.?
She was silent. His initial thought on this subject was right. This went way beyond merely building a house.
?Let?s get this over with,? she said, smoothing out the wrinkles on her skirt. She?d been doing that all night.
Knowing he wouldn?t get any further at the moment, he pushed the pedal a little further down to get to Livia?s apartment faster.
Phase two of his plan was about to begin.
?Ok, so,? Livia repeated to herself for the third time, ?I?m just supposed to blabber on about the baby, then ?accidentally? mention the security system??
?That?s right,? Trowa said, putting the folder away. The only time Livia ever babbled on like this was when she was nervous. ?Try to calm down before they get here. It would ruin my plan if Heero found out about the bet.?
Livia cringed. ?Oh right! I forgot about that. It?s been two days, so Quatre?s out, huh??
?That?s right.?
?But you?re a shoe in??
?I don?t care about winning. I just want Heero to know how I felt all those months ago.?
Her hand was suddenly caressing his cheek. He closed his eyes.
?It was worth it, though, wasn?t it??
There was a knock at the door.
?I?ll get it,? she grinned, giving him a gentle kiss before she moved towards the door. Trowa waited for her to return with Heero and Relena in tow, and when she did he gave her a quick glance of caution before walking over to Heero. Relena and Livia began chitchatting right away, just as expected.
?How did it go?? Trowa asked.
?Perfect,? Heero replied. ?She doesn?t suspect a thing.?
They turned to admire the images of the women they loved, both of them taking silent enjoyment in the way they smiled and laughed at each other.
?Are you sure you want to do this?? Trowa asked. He couldn?t help thinking of the irony in asking Heero the same question the other man had asked him only months before.
?Positive,? Heero said firmly. ?I need her to be pissed.?
Trowa nodded, glancing at Livia as a signal to go ahead. She nodded back.
?So,? she smiled, turning back to Relena, ?Have you seen the house yet? It?s so gorgeous and it?s in the perfect location.?
The blonde woman beamed. ?No, I haven?t seen it yet, and I won?t be able to see it until I get back.?
?Oh? Where are you going??
?On a little vacation,? she said absently, ?I think Heero and I need some time away.?
Livia nodded, running up the numbers in her head of how much she owed Jake. ?I understand completely.? She leaned closer to the other woman and whispered, ?Bet you?re gonna have fun with those cameras when you get back??
The smile on Relena?s face faltered. ?What cameras??
Livia gave her best version of a confused look. ?The security cameras; they?ve been installed in every room. Didn?t?anyone tell you??
A fire brewed in the blonde?s eyes and Livia was glad she didn?t play a bigger part in this than she already did.
?No, no they didn?t.? Her head turned slowly and her blazing eyes locked with her husband?s. A quick glance at Trowa was all it took for him to wisely move away from his dark-haired friend.
?Heero,? she said calmly, ?What?s this I hear about security cameras?!? She was growling by the end of the sentence. Heero didn?t respond.
?Dammit, Heero!? she yelled, walking over to him, ?I thought we?d finished this! I thought you were finally seeing things from my point of view. And now this?!? She threw her arms up in the air in exasperation, providing Heero with the opening he needed.
Trowa and Livia watched as Heero picked up his wife and threw her over his shoulder, holding one arm around her knees to keep her from falling as she kicked and punched at him, yelling for him to put her down. Her head and arms flailed behind him as he walked to the door and opened it, smirking back at the couple behind him. Even after the door was closed, they could hear her yelling until the sound of the car starting drowned her out.
They stared, shocked, at the empty space in front of them before they burst into laughter.
Relena had no idea what she was in for.
Plan B was a success.
~~~~~
Again, sorry it's so short.
Please remember that killing the author is not only illegal but will result in an everlasting status of "incomplete" for this fic. Besides that, if you want to kill me, you'll have to catch me first.
*runs*
~Litia
*is hit with a tomato*
Ow! Hey! I'm sorry!
I really meant to get this out sooner, but I decided (finally) that I wanted a beta reader and had to find one. It didn't take long, *winks at everyone who offered to beta read the upcoming lemon* but, being me, I had to rewrite this chapter a dozen times before I liked it enough to even THINK of having it beta read. Why, do you ask? Because this fic isn't mine and I want sooooooooo much to make it the best it can possibly be. So far I haven't been killed, so that's a good sign. I'm hoping that these next (last?) chapters are up to par with the rest of the fic, because when I first started working on it, around part three or four, I didn't know I would be the one to finish it. But, I like writing it. It's fun, it's new, and it's ending can go either way. And you know how much I loooooove those plot twists. So, here's hoping I can finish this fic BEFORE I have a meltdown from worrying about it. I apologize ahead of time for it being short, but the next chapter needs to have a LOT in it that just can't be seen this early. I probably should have thrown this onto the last chapter, but that one was overdue as well and I probably WOULD have been killed if I'd waited.
Please enjoy, and before I forget: Special thanks to Bella for the friendly reminders
, to Rose for listening to my ranting, and to Shadow for beta-reading, and a big, huge, enormous thanks to everyone who's reviewed.***As a bonus I'll tell you a secret. You know Quatre's and Duo's plans? For helping Relena seduce Heero? Well, Zechs has a scheme too that's barely mentioned at all until the chapter after this one. Know what it is?
...He made a bet on how long it takes Relena to win.
***Disclaimer: Does anyone here own Gundam Wing??Anyone? No? Ok. Neither do I.
Very Many Little Things
Night Two, Plan B
?You wouldn?t believe how many people it takes to build a house in just two weeks,? Livia sighed as she sat down on the couch next to Trowa. He held a folder in his hands and was currently examining its contents.
?Quatre will have no trouble covering the costs,? he said back to her, without looking up. She leaned closer to him and peeked at the contents of the folder as well. There were pictures, several, in fact, of the house that had just been completed for Heero, Relena, and their expected child.
Livia grinned. ?Poor Quatre. He and the others have no idea how badly we?ve sabotaged their plan.?
This time Trowa set the folder down next to him and turned to face her, taking her hand in his and rubbing it absently with his thumb.
?It?s really Relena?s plan that we?ve sabotaged, but I don?t think she?ll mind when it?s over.?
She sighed again and rested her head on his shoulder. ?I can?t believe they made a bet on how long Heero would last. And why did Relena do this in the first place? Why not just tell him she was pregnant from the beginning, instead of all this??
Trowa ran a hand through her hair. ?Because, then she wouldn?t have her answer.?
Livia frowned. ?Answer to what??
Trowa closed his eyes, reveling in the feeling of being close to her.
?To whether or not she?s ready to be a mother.?
Livia thought about that for a minute, then asked suddenly, ?So, why are you and Heero doing this, again??
He chuckled. ?Because Relena can?t be beaten, and she knows it. That being the case, Heero needs to find a way to grant her wishes, as well as his own. This is the best way.?
?I still don?t see why you wanted Jake in this. He?s becoming suspicious of why I involved him.?
Trowa opened his eyes, an unfamiliar gleam passing through them.
?Payback?s a bitch,? he mumbled.
Livia sat up, catching the gleam before it disappeared. ?You?re not still sore about that, are you??
He looked away.
?Trowa, Heero was just trying to help you with your apprehensiveness. Can you honestly say that you would have approached me if Dave hadn?t made you so jealous??
He didn?t respond.
?Oh, I get it now. You?re trying to help Heero exactly the same way he helped you. Aren?t you??
He turned to face her but still didn?t respond.
?Well,? she said, laying her head back down on his shoulder, ?At least someone knows what?s going on, besides me. Zechs has been a big help, although I don?t know why. I wonder if Relena knows what we?re up to??
?Probably not.?
?So, Relena planned the celibacy scam, Quatre planned the house building, and Duo and Hilde planned Relena?s current success??
This time, Trowa smiled.
?It?s not her success.?
She frowned. ?How so? You said Heero gave up when he found out she was pregnant. How is it not her success??
Trowa?s smile turned wistful.
?Just because your opponent surrenders doesn?t mean you?re the victor,? he said.
The sound of her humming softly on the other side of the car wasn?t that bad, but the incessant tapping of her fingers against window was driving him beyond crazy.
He?d gotten her good in the restaurant. That was his way of paying her back for two days of constant tension, and even though this whole thing wasn?t necessarily over, it felt good to do something, even if it wasn?t for him.
Before they left the mansion, she?d told him everything. The plan, the pregnancy, the others? ?help?. What she hadn?t told him was why. He didn?t buy the whole, ?it was a distraction to keep you away while I had your anniversary present built? excuse. No, that was too simple. It couldn?t have anything to do with their sexual relationship, either. There?s no way she would think their sex life needed to improve. It probably couldn?t get any better. So why, why go on with this charade?
He decided it was time to ask.
?Heero,? Relena said, just as he was about to speak, ?What did Trowa say to you??
He pretended not to know what she was talking about. ?What??
?On the phone,? she said, turning to him, ?The other day, at the house you?d picked out. Trowa called you and you changed your mind. I just wanted to know what he said??
He didn?t know if he should answer that. When Trowa called, he?d told Heero that the others had a plan, but he didn?t actually tell Heero about his plan until they were face to face.
Play it cool, he thought to himself. ?Nothing consequential. He told me that Duo, Quatre, and the others had all come up with a plan to help me, but as it turns out, it was a plan to help you.?
He saw her blush. A good sign. She was loosening up.
?So, who?s idea was this to begin with??
She sighed next to him. Good. It was working. ?Heero, I told you earlier. It was MY idea to do this in the first place, Quatre and Duo were only trying to help.?
?I know,? he responded, ?I just don?t understand why.?
She was silent. His initial thought on this subject was right. This went way beyond merely building a house.
?Let?s get this over with,? she said, smoothing out the wrinkles on her skirt. She?d been doing that all night.
Knowing he wouldn?t get any further at the moment, he pushed the pedal a little further down to get to Livia?s apartment faster.
Phase two of his plan was about to begin.
?Ok, so,? Livia repeated to herself for the third time, ?I?m just supposed to blabber on about the baby, then ?accidentally? mention the security system??
?That?s right,? Trowa said, putting the folder away. The only time Livia ever babbled on like this was when she was nervous. ?Try to calm down before they get here. It would ruin my plan if Heero found out about the bet.?
Livia cringed. ?Oh right! I forgot about that. It?s been two days, so Quatre?s out, huh??
?That?s right.?
?But you?re a shoe in??
?I don?t care about winning. I just want Heero to know how I felt all those months ago.?
Her hand was suddenly caressing his cheek. He closed his eyes.
?It was worth it, though, wasn?t it??
There was a knock at the door.
?I?ll get it,? she grinned, giving him a gentle kiss before she moved towards the door. Trowa waited for her to return with Heero and Relena in tow, and when she did he gave her a quick glance of caution before walking over to Heero. Relena and Livia began chitchatting right away, just as expected.
?How did it go?? Trowa asked.
?Perfect,? Heero replied. ?She doesn?t suspect a thing.?
They turned to admire the images of the women they loved, both of them taking silent enjoyment in the way they smiled and laughed at each other.
?Are you sure you want to do this?? Trowa asked. He couldn?t help thinking of the irony in asking Heero the same question the other man had asked him only months before.
?Positive,? Heero said firmly. ?I need her to be pissed.?
Trowa nodded, glancing at Livia as a signal to go ahead. She nodded back.
?So,? she smiled, turning back to Relena, ?Have you seen the house yet? It?s so gorgeous and it?s in the perfect location.?
The blonde woman beamed. ?No, I haven?t seen it yet, and I won?t be able to see it until I get back.?
?Oh? Where are you going??
?On a little vacation,? she said absently, ?I think Heero and I need some time away.?
Livia nodded, running up the numbers in her head of how much she owed Jake. ?I understand completely.? She leaned closer to the other woman and whispered, ?Bet you?re gonna have fun with those cameras when you get back??
The smile on Relena?s face faltered. ?What cameras??
Livia gave her best version of a confused look. ?The security cameras; they?ve been installed in every room. Didn?t?anyone tell you??
A fire brewed in the blonde?s eyes and Livia was glad she didn?t play a bigger part in this than she already did.
?No, no they didn?t.? Her head turned slowly and her blazing eyes locked with her husband?s. A quick glance at Trowa was all it took for him to wisely move away from his dark-haired friend.
?Heero,? she said calmly, ?What?s this I hear about security cameras?!? She was growling by the end of the sentence. Heero didn?t respond.
?Dammit, Heero!? she yelled, walking over to him, ?I thought we?d finished this! I thought you were finally seeing things from my point of view. And now this?!? She threw her arms up in the air in exasperation, providing Heero with the opening he needed.
Trowa and Livia watched as Heero picked up his wife and threw her over his shoulder, holding one arm around her knees to keep her from falling as she kicked and punched at him, yelling for him to put her down. Her head and arms flailed behind him as he walked to the door and opened it, smirking back at the couple behind him. Even after the door was closed, they could hear her yelling until the sound of the car starting drowned her out.
They stared, shocked, at the empty space in front of them before they burst into laughter.
Relena had no idea what she was in for.
Plan B was a success.
~~~~~
Again, sorry it's so short.
Please remember that killing the author is not only illegal but will result in an everlasting status of "incomplete" for this fic. Besides that, if you want to kill me, you'll have to catch me first.
*runs*
~Litia
You make me feel so much better. *is hit with another tomato* Ow! Darn it, Cat!