Two Princes, 2/15

[Goldilocks]

Ha! I'm keeping up with my vow of posting this semi-regularly! *fistpumps*

Thanks to everyone who read and replied to Ch. 1! I think I remembered to reply to each post... ^^;;

Anyway, moving on...

Two Princes
A pseudo-songfic, loosely based upon the song "Two Princes" by the Spin Doctors
by Sara
Pairings: 1 or 2 xR...and I'm not telling which one wins out yet, so don't ask! ^_~

Chapter Two

~One two princes kneel before you
That's what I said now
Princes, princes who adore you
Just go ahead now~

"I don't approve."

Relena sighed with frustration, but refused to turn around and acknowledge the speaker. She didn't have to. She'd been participating in a particularly annoying contest of wills with him for the past forty-five minutes.

"Heero, for God's sake, I can't back out now! He's going to be here in an hour. I can't call and cancel, it's too late!"

"Yes, you could."

Relena whirled, a pale yellow cardigan clutched angrily in her hands. "No, I cannot!" she said, nearly at the end of her patience. "You are not my father, Heero. You can't tell me what I can and cannot do!"

"No, but I am your bodyguard, and head of security, and it is my job to keep you safe. I can keep you from doing this, if I feel it's a threat to your safety."

Relena stared at him incredulously. "Heero. It's Duo. If I were going out with a complete stranger, I'd understand your reluctance to let me go. But it's Duo!"

"That's why I don't approve."

Relena stared at Heero. "I thought you two were friends," she commented flatly.

"That's why I don't trust him. I know him."

Relena made a disgusted noise. She threw the cardigan on her bed, turned back to her closet, and made a show of examining two pairs of walking shorts. "Heero, I am not going to spend my life under a glass dome, just because you happen to think I'm fragile. Duo asked me out on a date. I said yes. Therefore, I am going. End of story, and don't you think for a moment that you're talking me out of this!" She chose the dark, navy shorts, pulling them from their hangar.

"Then I'm coming with you."

Relena whirled on him. Her eyes were cold and dark with anger.

"You most certainly are not coming with! Who do you think you are, Heero Yuy?"

"I think I am your head of security. I'm only looking out for your safety."

Relena snorted with derision. "Heero, don't think I don't appreciate all the hard work you've done, making sure I stay safe. But Duo was also a Gundam pilot, same as you, and don't you start up on that I-was-better-than-all-the-other-pilots-put-together-on-the-ZERO-System spiel again. I'm sure I'll be perfectly safe, during the time that I'm with him." She walked over and pulled a plain white tee-shirt out of her bureau, and turned toward her changing screen.

Heero glowered at her. "Hn." He did not sound convinced.

Relena stepped behind the changing screen, shrugging out of her robe. She had ceased to be modest around Heero long ago. "Honestly, I don't understand why you're so uptight about this." She paused, pulling the tee-shirt over her head.

Heero said nothing. Relena continued, her voice muffled as she stepped into the shorts.

"In fact, if I didn't know you better, I'd almost say you were jeal--" She stopped short. Her head popped over the top of the screen, and she fixed Heero with a calculating stare. "Heero."

Heero didn't look at her.

"Heero, look at me."

He turned slowly, his expression unreadable.

"Tell me you're not jealous," Relena said, her voice softer.

Heero held her gaze for a moment, unspeaking.

"You are jealous. I don't believe this." Relena's voice was incredulous.

"I am not jealous," Heero said evenly.

"Then why are you being so difficult about this date?"

"I...I don't know," he admitted. Relena paused. Heero had never been uncertain about anything in the entire time she had known him. She stepped around the changing screen, and stopped in front of him.

"I really don't understand you, Heero," she said softly.

"I don't understand myself," he replied.

Relena shook her head slightly. "Please don't stop me, Heero," she said.

Heero said nothing at first. He shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. Finally, he spoke, his voice strained. "I guess I have no real reason to object to this...date."

Relena turned away, appraising her reflection in a mirror, and picked up her hairbrush. "Good," she said. "When I get back, though, I want to talk to you about this. I can't have you playing this overprotective thing every time I want to go out on a date with someone."

But whatever door Heero had opened to allow himself to halfway admit to being jealous, he'd already slammed it shut. He only grunted in response, and excused himself from her room.

Relena set her hairbrush down on the vanity, and sighed.

. . . .

Contrary to Heero's terse predictions, Duo was on time, even a little early, to pick up Relena. However, his prediction about the method of transportation Duo was most likely to use had been right on.

"So this is why he wanted me to dress casual," Relena muttered under her breath. She began to have second thoughts, not for the first time, as she walked down the steps of her estate, eyeing the vehicle in question appraisingly.

Duo had ridden in on a motorcycle. Apparently, the former God of Death had an affinity for vintage Harley-Davidsons. Relena wondered where he had acquired the bike.

He grinned at her from his perch on the seat, and patted the passenger seat behind him. There was a spare helmet strapped to the seat, and what appeared to be a picnic basket was secured to the luggage rack. So that's his plan, she mused inwardly. Well, it had been a long time since she'd been on a picnic.

He called out to her as she got closer. "Hey there, beautiful," he said, his face curving up into an almost impish smirk. "Glad to see you haven't backed out of our little bet."

Relena smiled slightly. "I am a woman of my word, Duo," she replied frankly. "Were you worried that I might back out on you?"

"Nah. I know you're a politician who's good for her word." He gestured toward the door to the house. "I just got the feeling that security around here was a bit too tight for you to escape for an afternoon romp."

Relena turned, and caught a glimpse of Heero's dark glower, aimed in their direction, peering out of the front door. Relena pursed her lips and glowered back, hands on her hips. The door clicked shut slowly.

She turned at the sound of Duo's chuckle. "Wow, if looks could kill..." he mused. "Hey 'Lena, I thought you said that there wasn't anything going on between you two."

"What do you mean by that?" she asked suspiciously.

Duo shrugged. "Well, call me an idiot, but I've seen that look before on a guy. Usually when he realizes that I'm flirting with his girl." He grinned at the stricken expression on her face. "But hell, what do I know? I promised you a good time, babe, and I plan on following through with that promise. Ready to hit the road?"

Relena smiled, almost charmed by his casual attitude. It was certainly refreshing, she thought, to hear someone like this, someone who doesn't feel obligated to act like a proper gentleman all the time. Everyone I usually have to deal with is so prim and proper. I'll bet a lot of them have never even seen a motorcycle, much less--

"Hey! Earth to Relena! Come in, Relena!" She snapped out of her reverie to catch Duo staring at her. "You okay?" he asked, his voice softer.

Relena shook herself slightly, and nodded. "I'm fine," she said, offering him what she hoped was a convincing smile. "I was just...thinking about things."

Duo grinned, apparently satisfied with the explanation, and handed the spare helmet to Relena. She slipped her arms into the sleeves of her cardigan, and took the helmet offered to her, turning it over in her hands uncertainly. Duo grinned again.

"Here, I'll help. First, pop it on your head--that's right--now hold on, I'll get the straps fastened." Duo leaned over to help her buckle the helmet securely in place.

Relena froze. She shivered slightly at the warmth of his body, and involuntarily took a sharp breath as one callused finger brushed her cheek casually as he manipulated the straps deftly, tightening them securely under her chin. She inhaled his scent; a mix of leather, motor oil, sweat, and a faint whiff of cologne, with an undercurrent of spicy maleness that was uniquely Duo. She fought to remain coherent, and heaved an almost audible sigh of relief as he pulled away.

If Duo had noticed her reaction to his closeness, he didn't show it. Instead, he swiveled back to face forward, and she gingerly sat down behind him. Once she was settled, he turned around slightly to regard her.

"You ever ride a bike before?" he asked. Relena shook her head no.

"Thought not. Okay, you'll probably have to hang onto my waist so you don't fall off. Just don't hold on too tightly, okay?" He chuckled as he turned back around. "If you take a spill and get some road rash, Heero'll never let me hear the end of it." He fiddled with the ignition, and the bike roared to life.

Relena leaned forward and shouted in the vicinity of Duo's ear. "Where are we going, Duo?" she asked.

Duo grinned back at her. "We're going fishing," he replied cheerfully.

"What??!!" she yelped, incredulous. But her protests were lost on the wind as they sped away from the estate.

. . . .

Duo ended up taking the long way to get to his fishing spot, and Relena had to admit that, despite the speed, and the wind in her face, she rather enjoyed the ride. Though she did have a hard time convincing herself into denying that half the reason why she enjoyed the ride so much was because she could hold onto Duo so tightly.

Eventually they arrived at a quiet lake, well away from the bustle of the city. Duo handed the picnic basket to Relena, gathered up fishing gear and bait from a sleepy-looking man at a mom-and-pop grocery, and turned toward the lake.

He found a spot underneath a large tree whose branches spread out over the surface of the water. Duo set the gear down before spreading a blanket on the ground, and gestured gallantly to Relena.

"Ladies first," he said. Relena giggled, and sat down gingerly. Duo sat down across from her, and reached for a fishing rod, and handed it to Relena.

Relena stared at him. "Duo, I've never been fishing before," she said.

"Relax, princess. It's easy!" He regarded her suddenly. "But maybe it'll be easier to try something new on a full stomach, huh?" He reached for the picnic basket, and began unloading its contents onto the blanket in front of them. He piled food on a plate and handed it to Relena.

She stared at the generous heaping of food. "So much, Duo?"

Duo regarded her as he busied himself with his own plate. "You look like you don't eat nearly enough, 'Lena," he commented. "Probably those bloodsucking bureaucrats you have to deal with. Too much jaw-flapping. No time to sit down for a decent meal."

Relena had to admit that it had been a long time since she'd gotten a chance to enjoy a good meal. Not that she hadn't wanted to...but you tended to forget to eat, when you had other things on your mind. Not only that, but she did get interrupted from meals an awful lot by politicians and diplomats with utterly pressing business--

"'Lena! Eat!" Relena was shocked from her reverie, and began to eat. And was surprised.

"Duo, this is really good! Where did you pick it up?"

Duo grinned at her. "At my house. I made it."

"You made this? I didn't know you could cook!"

"Call it a special talent, if you will. A man's gotta eat somehow, right? I got a bit tired of hot dogs and toaster pastries, so I invested some time and energy, and taught myself how to cook."

Talk was lost, momentarily, as the two of them dedicated their attentions to their plates. After a short time it was found again, as the two recounted their adventures of the past few years. Relena told stories about life among the politicians, the perks and downfalls of being the Vice Foreign Minister, and random gossip.

Duo, in turn, told animated stories of his misadventures, both in space and on the Earth. Relena found herself laughing more than she had in a long time. He continued to tell stories as he gathered up the dishes from their meal, and turned his attentions back toward the fishing gear. A look of apprehension crossed Relena's features once more.

"This is easy, 'Lena. I'll even bait the hook for you." He opened the bait container, and rooted around until he found a goodly-sized earthworm. Relena felt queasy.

"Relax, Relena. The don't feel anything," he reassured as he deftly fastened the bait to the hook, and handed her the rod, leaning over to dip his fingers in the lake to wash them. "All right, now let me help you cast..." He stood up, and wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands over hers, helping her to grasp the fishing rod. She had to concentrate very hard on the water, and not on Duo's nearness, or the strength of his arms as he eased her arms back, leaning the fishing rod across their shoulders....

"Now this is what you do..." He leaned back carefully, guiding her movements, and they cast the line out into the lake. The bobber sank for a moment, then jolted to the surface. Duo grinned at her. "Just pretend you're throwing something at any given bureaucrat, and as long as you don't let go of the rod, you'll be fine." Relena giggled, and swallowed back her disappointment as he disentangled himself from her. He baited his own hook, and cast his line out near hers.

Relena watched the bobber intently. "When do the fish start biting?" she asked.

Duo regarded the water. "Whenever they feel like it," he muttered.

As they sat there, regarding the water and willing the stubborn fish to bite, the conversation drifted to more personal avenues. Relena asked about the other pilots, and Howard, and Duo told her of their escapades as best he could.

"And what about Heero, 'Lena? You still haven't told me about you and him, remember?"

Relena paused, not quite sure how to answer. "I--"

Duo suddenly glanced at her bobber. "Hey! I think you've got a bite!" he said excitedly. Sure enough, the bobber was bouncing merrily on the surface of the water, and trailing farther away from the shore.

"Oh! What do I do, what do I do?" Relena fumbled with the fishing rod, trying not to drop it.

"Don't panic, it's okay. First you have to set the hook...just jerk the line back--not too hard!--yes, just like that..." The line grew taut as the hook was set. "Good! Now reel 'em in!"

Relena probably wouldn't have fought so hard, had she known the size of the fish, but being that this was the first time she'd ever been fishing, and that she couldn't see underwater, she assumed that the fish bested Moby Dick in size. She was rather discouraged when, after much fighting and lots of encouragement from Duo, she landed her first fish. She held the fish aloft by the line, watching the tiny body writhe in a futile attempt to escape, wet scales glinting in the early evening sun.

"It's so...small," she said, her voice ringing disappointment.

Duo smiled encouragingly at her. "Who cares? You caught your first fish! Not many people catch a fish their first time fishing." Suddenly, a wicked grin spread across his face. "And since this is your first fish..." He picked up the line, deftly unhooking the fish from the barbed hook, smoothing back its dorsal fin to grip it securely in both hands, and presented it, gaping mouth forward, to Relena. "You have to kiss it!" [1]

"WHAT???!"

"Aw, come on, Relena! It's a tradition! Everyone has to kiss their first fish! I had to, and so do you!"

Relena tried to worm her way out of it. "But...but...Duo, it's a fish! It's dirty! I'm not kissing it."

"Yes you are! Close your eyes if you have to." He gave her his best piteous expression. Relena caved.

"Oh, fine...I see you're not going to let me out of this one." She glared at Duo. "But if I catch some weird disease from kissing a fish, you're getting my medical bills!" She screwed her eyes shut, puckered her lips, and leaned forward reluctantly.

Duo grinned, carefully tossed the fish back into the lake, wiped his hands on his pants, and leaned forward himself. He took her by the shoulders carefully, and gently caressed her lips with his.

Relena's eyes flew open. This definitely did NOT feel anything like what she expected fish lips to feel like. Instead of cold and slimy, they were warm and soft, and with little wonder, as the vision that met her startled gaze was not that of a slowly asphyxiating aquatic animal, but of Duo's face.

She drew back with a startled intake of breath. "You...you...you tricked me!" Her voice was shrill with indignation.

Duo sat back on his knees. "Sorry, princess. I guess I don't know what came over me."

"You're sorry??!?" Relena was livid. "How could you--why would you--arrgh!" She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him.

Instead of cracking a joke, Duo looked positively contrite. "I'm sorry, Relena. I didn't think you'd get so mad."

"Then why did you do it?"

"Because I didn't think you'd let me kiss you, if I asked." Duo looked at the ground in front of him. Relena immediately softened. He looked so sad, so apologetic....

"I'm sorry, Duo. I should not have yelled at you. You just...surprised me." She smiled, slightly coy. "And you know, if you wanted to kiss me, Duo, all you had to do is ask."

Duo brightened considerably, then sobered a bit and leaned forward for another kiss, this one not to be interrupted by Relena's surprised reaction. And Relena, who up until that time, had been trying to figure out who would win the bet, suddenly realized that it was the farthest thing from her mind....

~*~

TBC

As always, C&C is greatly loved and appreciated. ^_^

[1] My dear, yet slightly gullible friend, Kim, had to go through a very similar scenario, when she caught her first fish. Her fishing companions claimed that it's "tradition" to kiss your first fish. Kim, unfortunately, was not on a date with a toothsome young man at the time, did not get fooled by the old bait-and-switch, and really did end up kissing the fish. She has the pictures to prove it. ^^

--Sara

[Kari]

I certainly wouldn't want to kiss a fish but if it's Duo then it WAY better.
Keep it up!! I love this story eventhough I don't like alternate pairings I like this one. Must be a special fic

[lilac310]

I'm really an HYxRP fan but seeing Duo and Relena together in this fic..I honestly thought it was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!......I never knew that despite Heero's beguiling sexy stoic attitude, Duo's happy-go-lucky way sure did thrill me more than I ever thought it can possibly do! ..and you definitely captured it in this story!!!! GREAT JOB!!!!....Duo's so cuddly!!..awww, makes me wanna hug him..write more!!!!!!!

[lilac310]

Oh.. I don't know who's gonna be the "PRINCE charming" in this story but it seems like Duo had been the highlight of the story so far...so I guess...nah, nevermind...but don't stop there...I wanna read more about that WACKO!!!!...yes, Duo's a wacko!!..but a CUTE one at that!!!!!!!!! HE IS SO CUTE!!! Oh and I love that Fish thingy by the way..maybe I should try that sometime...hehe..maybe not..

[Kanya Barton]

I would have commented on the chapter before this, but I kinda sorta couldn't b/c my computer was being a bitch. This is really a good one. I'm really enjoying reading this. You catch Duo's personality so well, and Heero's too! I about died when Relena and Heero were arguing about the date...Ha ha, Heero's jealous! Please post the next one soon!
Peace out!

[Goldilocks]

I certainly wouldn't want to kiss a fish but if it's Duo then it WAY better.
Keep it up!! I love this story eventhough I don't like alternate pairings I like this one. Must be a special fic

*grins* Thanks! It was a fun fic to write; I'm glad you're enjoying it!

When my friend told me the fish story, I knew I HAD to use it somewhere. I rather like the outcome of my story's version better, myself. ^^

Thanks for reading! ^_^

[Goldilocks]

I'm really an HYxRP fan but seeing Duo and Relena together in this fic..I honestly thought it was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!......I never knew that despite Heero's beguiling sexy stoic attitude, Duo's happy-go-lucky way sure did thrill me more than I ever thought it can possibly do! ..and you definitely captured it in this story!!!! GREAT JOB!!!!....Duo's so cuddly!!..awww, makes me wanna hug him..write more!!!!!!!

Yeah, I'm more of a 1xR fan, myself, but I wanted to give it a try and see what I could do...I thought it was a lot of fun. ^^ Thank you for the feedback! I'm really glad you thought I got the characters down well. ^^ I'll have the next chapter posted soon! ^_^

[Goldilocks]

Oh.. I don't know who's gonna be the "PRINCE charming" in this story but it seems like Duo had been the highlight of the story so far...so I guess...nah, nevermind...but don't stop there...I wanna read more about that WACKO!!!!...yes, Duo's a wacko!!..but a CUTE one at that!!!!!!!!! HE IS SO CUTE!!! Oh and I love that Fish thingy by the way..maybe I should try that sometime...hehe..maybe not..

Hee! I already know who the prince will be, but I'm not telling! ^^ You'll just have to wait and see. *grins* I thought the fish trick was cute, too; I don't think I'd have the courage to try it myself, though. ^^;;;

Thanks for reading! ^_^

[Goldilocks]

I would have commented on the chapter before this, but I kinda sorta couldn't b/c my computer was being a bitch. This is really a good one. I'm really enjoying reading this. You catch Duo's personality so well, and Heero's too! I about died when Relena and Heero were arguing about the date...Ha ha, Heero's jealous! Please post the next one soon!
Peace out!

Gotta love computer malfunctions... *grins* Anyway, thanks!! I'm really glad you think my characterizations are accurate. ^^ I had a lot of fun writing the argument between Heero and Relena--he kind of strikes me as the type who would be stubborn like that in this sort of situation. ^^ I'm planning on posting the next chapter very soon, so stay tuned! Thanks for reading! ^_^

[Mellie]

I love this story. it is well written, intriguing, and I want to know what happens in the end.