Disclaimer: The characters belong to someone else, but I done
thunk up this here plot.
Author's Notes: Hi guys. No, I'm not dead. And I would never abandon
a story in the middle of it, even if it takes years and years
to finish. I've just been very, very, insanely busy lately. Thank
you caring about this story enough to leave such sweet reviews,
send me such nice emails and even IM me to say hi. I can't say
when the story will be finished; sometimes it's out of the writer's
control, especially when she's rushing to graduate in December.
But it will be finished, that I promise you;) Thank you for hanging
on; I hope you find it worthwhile.
Dedication: To the ML girls. I've missed you.
****
To Dance Beneath the Diamond Sky
by Kristen Elizabeth
****
There was a glow on Relena's face the next morning at breakfast,
a sappy smile on her lips as she picked at her eggs benedict.
At the head of the table, Millardo folded up his New York Times
and picked up his coffee cup as he studied his little sister.
He glanced at Lucrezia; his lover gave him a little wink.
"Relena," he began. "I have to tell you. I am so
proud of you."
She glanced up, blinking. "Really?"
"I've heard nothing but good things from Treize and Lu about
your progression in the new role." Millardo took a long sip.
"We threw a lot of responsibility on you and you've handled
it wonderfully. I can't wait to see the dress rehearsal."
"Only two more weeks," Lucrezia supplied.
Relena swallowed a tiny bite of Canadian bacon. "Thank you,
Millardo. For everything." The grandfather clock in the main
parlor began to strike the seventh hour. "Oh! I'm going to
be late!!" She shot out of her chair, linen napkin flying,
and made a dash for her room.
Millardo set his cup back down in its china saucer. "Tell
me something, love. I've heard all about her technical merits
from Treize, but how does she look dancing with the Yuy kid? I
didn't even think about it when I cast her."
"How do they look?" Lucrezia placed a delicate bite
of melon in her mouth and chewed carefully as she came up with
an answer that would not stir her fiancee's brotherly protection
instincts. Still, she didn't want to lie. "They're gorgeous.
They move together like they've been partners forever. He brings
out the best in her. And she...she makes him a better person."
"I would ask if I should be worried..." He frowned at
his croissant. "But Relena is an adult."
She placed a hand on his arm. "You're taking it very well,
baby."
"Besides." Millardo drained the last of his coffee and
stood up. "Yuy is probably gay." He had dropped a kiss
on the top of Lucrezia's head and was on his way out of the penthouse
before she could think of a proper reply. For lack of anything
else to do, Lucrezia shook her head and reached for his uneaten
breakfast. She took a big bite of croissant just before his mother
appeared in the dining room.
"Helen," she mumbled around the flaky mouthful. "Good
morning."
Millardo's mother was wrapped up in flowered silk robe, her curler-ladden
hair tied up in a chiffon scarf. Without make-up, her early morning
face strongly resembled an angry rodent. The scowl that spread
on her face didn't help. "Where is my daughter?"
"Getting ready for school." Lucrezia swallowed. "The
melon is especially good this morning, Helen."
"Too much sugar." Helen gracefully dropped into the
brocaded chair Millardo had vacated only moments earlier. "I
should think you'd be especially aware of that, dear."
"Oh really? Why is that?"
Helen lifted a health-club sculpted shoulder. "I've just
noticed a few extra pounds on you lately. We're going to have
to get Vera Wang to let out your wedding dress if you're not careful."
Lucrezia's eyes narrowed. "I really don't think you should
worry about it, Mother Helen." Millardo's mother bristled
at the hated title. "Vera and I have already discussed my
dress at length when I found out..." She bit her tongue.
"If you won't have some melon, will you try a croissant?"
Just then, Relena reappeared in the kitchen. "Good morning,
Mother." She gave Helen a tiny peck on her cheek.
Helen caught her wrist before she could move away. "You got
in awfully late last night, Relena."
There was the slightest of catches in Relena's reply that anyone
not looking to see a lie would never have noticed. "I'm sorry,
Mother. My friend and I had to study late to finish the project
on time."
"What project is that?"
"Biology class," Relena replied, smoothly.
"I see." Helen drummed a manicured finger on the table-top.
"I hope you're not letting all of this schoolwork interfere
with your rehearsals."
Relena managed to turn around before she rolled her eyes. "Of
course not, Mother." She shot Lucrezia a 'help me' look.
Lucrezia stood up. "Relena, you had better hurry if you want
to make first period."
"Yes, of course." Relena turned back around. "Bye.
I'll see you at rehearsal, Lu. And Mom...I'll see you when I get
home."
Helen watched her son's fiancee walk Relena to the door. When
both women were out of sight, she stood up and stalked over to
the window. The city far below was just waking up, ready to start
the new day. But her mind wasn't on beginnings. It was on endings.
The end of whatever or whoever was distracting her daughter from
the only thing that truly mattered in her life. Her dancing.
****
Heero wasn't in class when Relena arrived that morning. Instantly,
her mood plummeted. She slid into her chair and set her bookbag
onto Heero's seat, as if to give him a little chore to make up
for his absence once he arrived. But by the time the bell rang,
it still sat there.
Relena moved through her morning with a mounting sense of fear.
Something had happened to him. She concocted million different
horrible scenarios in her mind through her classes. Eventually,
they moved from muggings and murder to emotional withdrawal. What
if he had thought about what they had done all night, as she had,
but instead of reliving it and hoping for another chance to be
that close, he had decided it had been a mistake and now, in the
light of day, couldn't face her?
She looked for him in the halls, behind every open locker door,
in every corner, to no avail. By the time lunch period rolled
around, Relena had already begun dreading rehearsal that afternoon.
Heero might miss school, but he would never miss dance class.
He was going to have to face her eventually.
With her salad and pita bread, Relena settled down in the courtyard
for a miserable, lonely lunch. She had just taken her first bite
when felt someone behind her. Swallowing, she turned her head.
"Hey." Heero hands were tucked into the pockets of his
dark pants; his button down shirt was open at the throat, the
uniform tie was unknotted and haphazardly hung around his neck.
Relena was just about to snap at him, when she noticed his right
cheek. It was swollen. "Heero! What happened to you?!"
He reached up and gingerly touched his face. "He woke up
before I did. Got me while I was asleep."
"Oh god...Heero." Relena set her lunch aside and stood
up. Her fingers brushed ever so slightly over his wound before
she threw her arms around him. "I was worried about you."
Heero returned the embrace, not caring that almost every eye in
the courtyard was on them. "I'm all right. It's not too bad."
He cleared his throat. "Relena...let's go somewhere we can
talk."
She let him lead her into an empty classroom. Once there, he hugged
her again and inhaled the sweet scent of her hair. "You shouldn't
have had to worry about me."
"I couldn't help it." She drew back. "I thought
you might regret..." Her voice dropped down a level. "Last
night."
"I don't." Heero pressed his lips against her forehead.
A pause hung in the air.
"But..." she prompted, a cold fist clutching her heart.
He looked up at the ceiling. "I don't know. I haven't really
had time to think much this morning."
Relena bit her lip and touched his cheek again. "Did you
put ice on it?" He nodded. "It shouldn't swell up anymore
then. And even if it's not completely gone by performance day,
make-up should easily cover it." Heero's eyes darted down
to the floor. "What's wrong?"
"I feel like I..." He stopped to collect his thoughts.
"I feel like I took advantage of you last night." She
opened her mouth to speak, but he went on. "I don't know
what do about you, Relena, because you're not like anyone I've
ever met. And I haven't ever felt about anyone...the way I feel
about you. Maybe I did it all wrong last night. I should have
waited...we should have gone slower...do you see what I..."
Relena gave him a soft kiss. "You needed me last night. I
needed you. I won't ever regret that." She swallowed. "But
I would be lying to you and to myself if I said that was how I
pictured my first time. I mean, the circumstances. The actual
event..." A blush colored her cheeks. "That was just
fine."
"So...what are we saying here?" He tucked a lock of
hair behind her ear. "Slow down?"
"Only a little bit," she corrected him. "Is that
what you were thinking?"
Heero nodded. "I don't want you to think..." He started
again. "I wouldn't ever use you, Relena. Or hurt you."
"I know you wouldn't." The complete trust in her voice
took away the throbbing pain in his cheek. She healed him without
even knowing it. "Why don't you ask me on a date?"
He smiled as much as he could. "Will you go out with me on
Friday night, Relena?"
"Well..." Relena played with his loose tie. "I'll
have to check to make sure I'm free then..."
"I'll call you tonight," Heero promised. He leaned in
to kiss her, but before his lips could touch hers, the bell rang,
signaling the end of lunch.
Relena kissed his cheek with extra care. "I'll see you at
rehearsal." Giving him a wink, she started out of the room,
heading for her next class, all of her fears and doubts having
dissolved.
****
As soon as his own school let out, Duo grabbed a cab and sped
back to the hospital. The nurses in Hilde's wing knew him by sight;
one of them chuckled as he ran down the squeaky-clean floor, skidding
to a halt in front of her door.
He knocked loudly and cracked the door open. "Are you decent,
babe?"
Hilde's voice called back through the thick wood. "Wait just
a moment, Duo. I need to get my bra back on after my sponge bath."
Duo threw the door open and all Hilde could do was laugh when
his shoulders sagged in disappointment upon seeing her completely
covered and dry. "You're a cruel woman," he told her.
"Predictable," she laughed. "So predictable."
"Damn, but you're gorgeous when you smile." After giving
her a thorough kiss, he plopped down in a chair next to her bed.
"What have you been up to all day?"
"Homework," Hilde replied. "History is fun when
you're on Demerol."
"I bet it is." Duo reached for her textbook. "The
Civil War and Reconstruction. Fun..."
Her smile lost some of its momentum. "I need to do a lot
of studying if I want to get into college. If it's not too late
already, that is."
He set the book aside. "Hilde...we don't know anything for
sure yet. You could be gracing the stage of Lincoln Center for
the thrill of thousands at this time next year."
"You think so?"
The hope that lit up her eyes was almost too much for him to bear.
Choking on a sudden lump in his throat, all he could manage to
say was, "Anything is possible."
She lowered her chin to her chest. The less Duo said, the more
he was trying to hide. Her fingers pulled at the hospital blanket
that covered her uninjured leg. The other stuck out from the covers,
still swaddled in bandaging. "Why do they paint these rooms
beige?" she suddenly asked.
Duo blinked and looked around at the walls. "Because if you
got too comfortable, you might not want to leave when you're well?"
"I think I'm going crazy in here, Duo," she continued
a moment later.
He reached out and took her hand. "What can I do?"
Hilde looked him straight in the eye. "Bust me out for the
afternoon."
The corners of Duo's lips turned up. "You be Bonnie and I'll
be Clyde?"
"Something like that." She threaded her fingers through
his. "Please, Duo? The nurses all think you're hot; they'll
do anything you ask. I just want to get out for awhile to get
some fresh air."
"Fresh air? In New York?"
Hilde tightened her grip on his hand. "Please?!"
He sighed. "Like I could say no to you, babe." He brought
her fingers up to his lips. "Where do you want to go?"
Her reply was quick, concise and well thought-out. "Take
me with you to rehearsal."
****
To Be Continued