Two Princes (1 or 2 xR), 12/15

[Goldilocks]

We're back to the point of beginning now, with the ball mentioned at the beginning of the story. Who will Relena invite? *grins*

Well now, after the lemon chapter, it might seem to be a little more cut-and-dried, with regard to who is going to end up with whom...or is it? It may seem like we've got a winner...but is the losing party willing to give up so easily? *grins*

Much thanks goes to everyone who has read and reviewed thus far. ^__^

Two Princes
A pseudo-songfic, loosely based upon the song "Two Princes" by the Spin Doctors
by Sara
Pairings: 1 or 2 xR...you know, most people WISH for the kind of problems that Heero has been dealing with lately...

Chapter 12

Relena set down the Naples report, and pushed it to the side with a heavy sigh. It was no use. She just could not concentrate right now.

Her eyes found the invitation to the ball once more. Why was this even an issue for debate? When had her private life become the concern of anyone besides herself? If she wanted Duo to be her escort, then nothing should stop her from making that a reality. Right?

"Honestly," she said aloud, her voice tinged with disgust. "I don't even understand why I'm making such an issue of this. I'm just going to invite Duo, and it will be over with. After all, I am in control of my own destiny, and I can't name one good reason to think otherwise."

At that moment, the only good argument Relena could usually name decided to put in an appearance.

Dorothy knocked lightly, then stepped into Relena's office. "Miss Relena," she said, her voice smooth and purring, "have you gotten a chance to look over those reports? I think I may have a few suggestions of how to deal with the conflict, if you're interested in hearing them."

Relena looked up tiredly. "Dorothy, you and I both know perfectly well that you're not here because of the Naples reports. You can drop the facade now."

Dorothy looked surprised, and slightly taken aback, but she hid her shock well. "Ah," she said, regaining her composure. "Does that mean you've reached a decision on...the other matter?"

Relena folded her hands in front of her on the desk. "As a matter of fact, I have," she said smoothly. "I spent the time thinking about how much happier I've been lately, and how much I've enjoyed the time I've spent with Duo, and I decided that it would be foolish of me to push away the one person who not only has accepted my love, but has reciprocated it as well. It also occurred to me that you seem to be the only person in dissention of the arrangement. Even Heero has been mostly silent on the issue, only choosing to voice his concerns where my personal safety is involved, as it should be."

Dorothy opened her mouth to protest, but Relena continued without pause. "I have carefully weighed the issue. You say that spending time with Duo will be detrimental to my image. However, you speak from personal experience as an aristocrat. I myself am not an aristocrat. Though my parents of birth were Peacecrafts, I myself was raised as a Dorlian, and the Dorlians were--and are--politicians. Currently, my role as a politician is more widely recognized than my former role as the sovereign of the Sank Kingdom.

"Politicians do not see it proper to bind themselves by such silly restrictions as blood ties and upbringing," she said, her voice gaining an edge Dorothy had rarely heard before. "Therefore, I should, as a politician, feel no obligation to pursue royalty in an attempt to find a significant other. As such, I can see no good reason to leave Duo, and many, many good reasons to stay with him. And that," she said firmly, her voice brooking no argument, "is my final word on the matter. If you don't like it, well...that's just too bad."

Dorothy did look shocked now. "Miss Relena!" she said, her voice not quite a gasp, and not quite a threat. "If others were to hear you speak like this--"

"They'd probably be impressed that I'd finally found the courage to say something," Relena interrupted. "I'm not a child any more, Dorothy. The time has come for me to recognize that love does not always come in a neatly wrapped package. Sometimes the wrapper is a little torn and tattered, but it's the gift inside that's the most important."

Dorothy had been shaking her head in disbelief all along, and she finally blurted out the comment that Relena believed had been the driving force behind her protests. "What about Heero?"

"Heero will still be my bodyguard, for as long as I feel the need for his services. He has always been, and always will be, a trusted friend--but he is not, nor will he ever be, a lover. We are just not suited for each other, in that respect."

Dorothy's eyes narrowed, and she arched one eyebrow. "What an interesting choice of words, Miss Relena," she said, her voice slightly predatory. "One would almost wonder if there weren't some hidden meaning behind them..."

Was that a slight flush across the bridge of Relena's nose, or a trick of the light? "Find whatever meaning you wish, Dorothy," she said smoothly. "The fact remains that I am quite happy with Duo, and have finally realized that I was pursuing love in the wrong place. Heero will always be a very dear friend to me, and vice versa. But I should have known from the start that we were never suited for each other, romantically."

Inwardly, Dorothy was proud of Relena. Dorothy had known all along that her friend had the heart of a fighter beneath the facade of a pacifist. That fighter just chose to manifest itself in much more creative ways, by using the more challenging to wield, yet much more effective weapon of words as her sword.

But outwardly, Dorothy was not about to give Relena the satisfaction of knowing her approval.

Dorothy narrowed her eyes. "What are you saying, Miss Relena?"

"I'm saying that I am going to take Duo to this ball as my escort. If the host decides that Duo does not fit in with the rest of the crowd, and refuses to allow Duo to attend, then I won't attend, either. Although I may no longer be a member of the aristocracy, I still carry enough clout that no one would dare risk the insult of asking me to leave."

"And what of Heero? What is he supposed to do? Sit at home and hope you're all right?"

Relena was rapidly losing her patience. "I've already had to explain this to Heero. Duo is quite capable of acting as my bodyguard in the interim, and Duo has proved himself worthy of this trust."

"But..."

Relena sighed in exasperation. "Dorothy, if you're so afraid Heero will feel slighted if he doesn't go to the ball, why don't you ask him to be your own escort? You received an invitation to the ball, as well."

"So did Mr. Heero," murmured Dorothy, but this seemed to trigger something in her mind. Abruptly, she spun on her heel. "It seems you've made up your mind, and no amount of argument will sway you. I'll...leave you to your reports," she said, and excused herself.

Relena watched the door close behind Dorothy. Somehow, the feeling lingered that she had not heard the last of this argument.

. . . .

"Hey, Hilde!"

Hilde, who was sprawled catlike on the sofa, looked up over the edge of her book. "You bellowed, Duo?"

Duo scowled at her in mock annoyance. "Funny," he said dryly. "Let me file that away under 'Later'. I have something important to ask you."

Hilde sat up, setting her book aside. "What is it?"

Duo shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. "Well...you know how you always say a blind gorilla dressing himself in the dark would have a better sense of fashion than me?" Hilde swallowed back a smirk and nodded. "Okay...well, Relena has asked me to be her guest for this ball or something, and I don't know how to dress."

Hilde almost squealed in excitement, jumping off the sofa. "Duo! I get to dress you up formally?!"

Duo nodded.

"Oh, goodie! When is this ball? Hold on; I'll get my purse." She bounded out of the room just as the vidphone rang.

"Duo, will you get that?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No."

Duo chuckled, and ambled over to the vidphone. Maybe it was Relena, he thought to himself, allowing himself the luxury of a slight shiver of anticipation. She'd been calling more frequently, ever since the Brussels conference and the assassination attempt.

Much to his surprise, however, the face that greeted him was not that of Relena, but of her bodyguard. "Heero?"

Heero nodded curtly. "Duo," he said. "I need to speak to--"

"Hold on a sec, Heero. This isn't one of those 'take good care of her' lectures, is it?"

"Duo, I need to speak to--"

"Oh, I know what you're going to say, that no one will ever take as good care of her as you will, and that you'll never willingly give her up. But I've got news for you. How 'bout you ask the lady what she thinks of this matter instead of just assuming she wants to be coddled by you for the rest of her life? I happen to know for a fact she's very happy with me."

Heero was staring at Duo, a confused expression gracing his features. "H-Hilde is happy with you?"

Duo blinked in surprise. "Hilde? I thought you were talking about Relena!"

Heero shook his head. "No. It's Relena's life. I do not have any say over who she sees or does not see. And if you would've shut your mouth for more than five seconds, you would've known that I called to talk to Hilde. Is she there?"

Duo stepped back, startled into silence. "Uh...yeah. Hold on. I'll go get her." He backed away from the vidphone. "Hilde! You have a phone call!"

"Who is it?" Hilde's voice sounded very faint, as if she was digging in her closet for something.

"It's Heero."

There was a sudden thunder of feet as Hilde rushed downstairs. "Duo...you go...do something else for a little while, okay?" she said, pushing her roommate toward the door. Duo chuckled.

"Got it, Hildey. I'll wait for you in the kitchen." He ambled out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Hilde sat down at the vidphone, her face flushed and happy. "Heero! Hi!" She pushed her bangs away from her face. "What's going on?"

Heero fidgeted a little. "Hilde...I was wondering...there's this...there's this event...next Saturday night. And I got an invitation, and I was wondering..." Hilde had to smother back a giggle. She had never seen Heero so flustered, yet here he was, stumbling over his words and staring at his hands.

"I was wondering...oh, this is ridiculous. Hilde, there's a ball next Saturday night. I normally would go with Relena, but she's going with Duo. I was wondering...would you like to go to the ball with me?"

Hilde's eyes narrowed. "I don't like the sound of that, Heero. Am I your second choice or something?"

Heero's face grew alarmed. "No! I didn't mean to make it sound like that...honest. It's just old habit; I'm used to attending these functions with Relena as her bodyguard. But for some reason, I got a separate invitation this year." He shrugged. "I will be honest. You were the first person I thought of to invite to the ball. I thought...I thought that having you as my guest would be...nice."

Hilde found her ire fading away, and she suddenly smiled very brightly. "That's more like it," she said. "In that case, yes, I would love to go with you, Heero."

Heero's lips twitched slightly upwards. "Thank you," he said. "I will let you know when I'll pick you up when I've made those arrangements." With that, they exchanged their good-byes, and ended the connection.

Hilde wandered into the kitchen, where she found Duo eating a sandwich. She made a disgusted noise.

"You're eating again? We just ate lunch!"

Duo shrugged, and started to speak around a mouthful of sandwich. "Hey, I was hungry!" he protested. "Besides, you were on the phone. I needed to find something to do until you were done."

Hilde muttered something under her breath about blasted men and their damned metabolisms. Duo just grinned wider. He finished his sandwich, then licked his fingers clean and wiped them on his pants. Hilde eyed him in disgust.

"Please tell me you won't do that at the ball," she said, a warning note in her voice.

"I won't unless they're serving peanut butter and jelly sandwiches," he quipped, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Don't," she warned, "or I'll bop you one. I'll be there to watch you, you know."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because Heero asked me to go with him to the ball."

Duo grinned. "Really? Good! Looks like ol' Steel-Girder-Up-Butt finally eased up enough to admit he likes you!"

Hilde shrugged slightly. "We're probably just going as friends," she said, not quite able to hide the note of wistfulness in her voice. She shook herself slightly. "But anyway, now I have to find an outfit, too. Let's go!"

Duo chuckled in resignation to his fate, and allowed himself to be dragged back to the mall.

. . . .

Heero clicked off the vidphone, a small smile on his face. Somehow, he had known that asking Hilde to this ball would be a good idea. He hadn't even been too terribly upset when Relena had told him she was going with Duo, much to her surprise.

But Heero had been thinking the matter over. Maybe the best thing to do really was to just step back and let Relena and Duo be together. He certainly wasn't winning any points by ingratiating himself to Relena. Duo, he wasn't so worried about. But Relena...well, deep down, he knew that she was a special person to him, even if she didn't worship the ground he walked on any more.

And Hilde had seemed so happy when he asked her...well, eventually. I suppose I should be careful to make sure she doesn't think she's just a replacement for Relena or something like that, he mused inwardly. Then he chuckled inwardly. Hilde was as opposite from Relena as they could get. Where Relena was diplomatic, and chose her words carefully, Hilde was not afraid to let others know what she thought. Where Relena was delicate, Hilde was tough. Neither woman was inferior or superior to the other; they were just perfect in their own, special ways.

Heero shook his head slightly. He would have never taken pause to consider things like that not that long ago. He would've either made a total nuisance of himself to Relena, or just avoided everyone altogether. He chuckled in near disbelief. Who would've thought that he would be introspective? He certainly never had been that way before.

His thoughts strayed to the ball once more. There would be appetizers and such set out, but it would be nice to take Hilde to dinner. To a nice restaurant. She deserved to be treated well. And he'd have to buy a new tux. Maybe Relena could help with that. Heero knew how much she loved to shop. And flowers. Yes, some flowers would be nice--

His train of thought was interrupted suddenly by his office door being flung open. He fixed a cold glare on whoever it was who had decided to barge into his office. He didn't appreciate visitors who didn't knock.

Dorothy stood in his doorway, looking just a little disheveled, as if she had run the entire way there. When she realized he was there, she smoothed her skirt and attained an almost predatory look--the same look that Heero had gotten to see far too often in his time working as Relena's bodyguard. Inwardly, he cringed. When Dorothy got that look on her face, she meant business...and woe to the person who had attracted her attention.

She stepped smoothly into his office, closing the door behind her. "Heero," she purred, "I'm so glad you're here. I was afraid I'd miss you before you left for the day."

Heero glanced at the clock. It was 1:30 p.m. He turned to stare at Dorothy, eyebrows raised. "I assume you needed something?"

Dorothy smiled. "Why yes, dear Heero, I do need something--from you." She stepped closer to his desk. "I'm sure you know about the ball, correct?" Heero nodded.

"Good. And since Relena is going with that...that...Duo, you'll need someone to escort to the ball yourself, correct?"

Heero shook his head. "Dorothy, I--"

"No no no," she admonished, "you don't have to be modest. I know you need someone to escort. After all, who would accompany you besides Relena?"

Heero bristled. "Dorothy, let me finish. I--"

Dorothy waved him silent. "No need for a rebuttal, Heero," she said airily. "I have everything under control. I've gone ahead and set everything up so that you don't have to lift a finger. I'll be your escort!"

"What?"

"I know, I know. I should've asked first. But I figured it would be no trouble, and you probably wouldn't have someone lined up in Relena's stead already. So don't worry about a thing!" Dorothy turned to leave.

"Dorothy, wait! I'm trying to tell you--"

"Oh, you don't have to thank me, Heero. Being allowed to accompany you to the ball is thanks in and of itself. And just between you and me--" She turned suddenly, stepping over to lean close to Heero, lowering her voice. "I have been thinking all along that you and Relena were never suited for each other. I'm sure you'll be able to find someone much more suited to your disposition than her." Dorothy winked, and stood up. "I'll see you next Saturday, Heero!" she sang as she left his office, slamming the door behind her.

Heero sat, transfixed, staring at the doorway. Now what was he supposed to do?!

~*~

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

[Kari]

How is Heero going to fix that??
And now I'm sure that Duo is the winner. And Heero will be with Hilde.
And they live happily ever after. Ooops sorry too much sap

[Mellie]

yea! It's thursday and I got my biweekly dose of confusion! Well, actually this chapter was a little more clearer. But then the end. Dorothy. Heero. Hilde. Oh wow, Heero is going to have some fun!
Heero:

Another great chapter! Can't wait to read the rest!

[lilac310]

Oh!!!!..I think I'm getting it....whew!..Finally, I'm beginning to understand ....Duo's with Relena, that's for sure......whereas Heero would be caught amidst Hilde and Dorothy!!!!...That was so COOL...I don't think I've ever read anything that sort of insinuates a budding attraction between Heero and Dorothy, but this one's definitely interesting...definitely worth some serious attention....Great job here, as always...I'd love to see Hilde's reaction when she finds out that Heero has another date...or so Dorothy says ..

..YIpee.. ..I'm all hyped up with this new thing going on...Was that something you're planning to experiment with?...HeeroxDorothy?....It's not that I'd like to see them together...'cuz honestly, I don't like Dorothy that much, being the annoyance she is *hides away from Dorothy fans *....oops, sorry if I offended anyone there....I'm just voicing out my opinion....Really, I think Dorothy's a great girl but I just don't think she belongs with Heero *cringes*....I'd like to see her more with Quatre or Trowa!!!!...heh..

Oh well, I'm excited!!!

[Tobo Castit]

I usually have trouble finding time to review, but for this story I made time. This has been very enjoyable and I have had fun following it's progress. My only problem is I think Duo is out of character on occasion... But then again, it has always made the plot a little more funny or entertaining. Great job, I know this story was completed a long time ago, but I hope you put the rest up soon!

[Goldilocks]

How is Heero going to fix that??
And now I'm sure that Duo is the winner. And Heero will be with Hilde.
And they live happily ever after. Ooops sorry too much sap

*grins* Heero has certainly gotten himself into it this time, hasn't he? He needs to learn to be more aggressive, when it comes to matters of the heart. ^^ *grins* As for happily ever after...we'll have to wait and see! ^^ Thanks for reading! ^__^

[Goldilocks]

yea! It's thursday and I got my biweekly dose of confusion! Well, actually this chapter was a little more clearer. But then the end. Dorothy. Heero. Hilde. Oh wow, Heero is going to have some fun!
Heero:

Another great chapter! Can't wait to read the rest!

Heero is really in for it this time! The poor guy just can't get a break. No wonder I ended up writing a 1xR lemon after this one was finished--he was mad that he got the short end of the stick in this story, so many times! ^^;;; Anyway, I apologize in advance for breaking my posting schedule--I'll explain when I post the next chapter here shortly. Thanks for reading! ^__^

[Goldilocks]

Oh!!!!..I think I'm getting it....whew!..Finally, I'm beginning to understand ....Duo's with Relena, that's for sure......whereas Heero would be caught amidst Hilde and Dorothy!!!!...That was so COOL...I don't think I've ever read anything that sort of insinuates a budding attraction between Heero and Dorothy, but this one's definitely interesting...definitely worth some serious attention....Great job here, as always...I'd love to see Hilde's reaction when she finds out that Heero has another date...or so Dorothy says ..

I haven't read very many stories that imply 1xD...there's been only one that I did read, and I didn't care for it very much. Didn't like the writing style. It might be fun to play with, but... ^^

..YIpee.. ..I'm all hyped up with this new thing going on...Was that something you're planning to experiment with?...HeeroxDorothy?....It's not that I'd like to see them together...'cuz honestly, I don't like Dorothy that much, being the annoyance she is *hides away from Dorothy fans *....oops, sorry if I offended anyone there....I'm just voicing out my opinion....Really, I think Dorothy's a great girl but I just don't think she belongs with Heero *cringes*....I'd like to see her more with Quatre or Trowa!!!!...heh..

Oh well, I'm excited!!!

Actually, it was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing, when I was writing, to add some conflict near the end of the story. Things were going too smoothly, in one direction. I'm not a great fan of 1xD, either; it's just a little too weird for me. I prefer 3xD--I even wrote a story about them once, but I'm very much not happy with it. Something I wrote when I was still pretty "green", as far as ficwriters go. But we'll have to wait and see what happens here! ^^

Thanks for reading! ^__^

[Goldilocks]

I usually have trouble finding time to review, but for this story I made time. This has been very enjoyable and I have had fun following it's progress. My only problem is I think Duo is out of character on occasion... But then again, it has always made the plot a little more funny or entertaining. Great job, I know this story was completed a long time ago, but I hope you put the rest up soon!

Thank you!! ^_^ I appreciate that you took the time to review. And I agree with you--Duo does get a little OOC, at times. This is an older fic, one written back when I was still getting the hang of writing the characters, so I dip out of character from time to time. Plus, Duo misbehaved himself at times, and didn't want to cooperate with the story. ^^;;; I'm trying to keep to a regular posting schedule, so hopefully, it won't be too much longer to wait for the rest. Thanks for reading! ^__^

[Cinthya_Dee]

NOW THIS IS GETTING VERY VERY VERY INTERESTING.

I LIKE, I LIKE, I LIKE. AND HOPEFULLY ON WITH THE ANGST


Cinthya_Dee