21-Aug-2000
Warning: one m/m kiss.
*Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sotsu Agency and Sunrise.
Aren't you jealous? I am.
Note: This fic is one in a series of stories with the same continuing characters, The Belle of the Ball Arc, or BotB Arc for short.
Relena was still stewing and fuming over her recent 'discovery' that Heero's 'fiance' was really Duo Maxwell, his roommate. Not only had Heero broken her heart, that he would go to such extent to avoid her, but she had suffered a terrible humiliation when the rest of the students had found out she had been following Heero from school to school. It was rumored she was being called "The Stalker" behind her back. And to add insult to injury, it had affected her social status at the school. She no longer occupied the top rung of the social ladder, no longer did the others look to her to set the trends and decide who and what was 'cool'.
She just had to think of a way that would not only exact her revenge on Heero but would restore her to the position she once held. This 'queen' was not going to stay dethroned. She had to come up with the perfect revenge, one that was big, that was brilliant and it had to be public.
She was idly browsing through the social section of the internet newspaper, looking at the pictures of the recently engaged and married when an idea suddenly hit her. This idea was big, it was brilliant and it would be public.
She made an appointment with the headmaster of the school. She presented to him an idea she had and he loved it. Apparently her loss of social status among the students did not matter to him, especially since her family had recently endowed the school with a large sum of money for a new library wing. The fact that the school would be an unwitting party to her revenge pleased her to no end.
Her idea was a simple one, she told the headmaster. She had noticed at the last dance that attendance was not what it should have been, that many of the young students, the future leaders, were not living up to their social obligations. Her plan was to hold another dance, and this one would be mandatory, all students must attend and they all must bring a date. If they did not attend, the punishment would be a thousand page report on social ettiquette. She had offered to make all the arrangements herself and the headmaster had given her carte blanche. Too bad her revenge wouldn't be totally complete, as Duo Maxwell had recently transferred to another school.
Heero was reading his invitation to the mandatory dance when his laptop started beeping. A new mission assignment was coming through, apparently. He went over to the computer and read the encoded message. There was a new computer program OZ had developed that would speed communication between the Earth and Colony bases. It was important to get that program in order to develop a jamming program for it. It was to be installed at the local naval base, and Heero looked twice at the date, it was on the same night as the dance. "Talk about deja vu,"he thought to himself.
Heero decided he needed to get in touch with Duo, and quick. They met in the local town at the local hamburger joint - Duo's idea.
"Hey Yui, how's it hanging?" Duo greeted cheerfully.
"Fine," said Heero. "We don't have time for pleasantries, something important has come up and I need your help."
"Sure, old buddy, whatever you need." was Duo's reply.
"I have a mission coming up and as luck would have it, the mission is on the same night as a mandatory dance at the school," Heero started to explain.
"Uh oh, I don't think I'm going to like where this is heading," Duo said warily. "Please tell me you're not going to ask what I think you are going to ask."
"Sorry Duo, there's no way around it. I could just not attend the dance, but there is a 1000 page report to do as punishment if I don't go. I just don't have time to mess with that sort of trivial crap," Heero said.
"Of course, if you hadn't embellished on our 'date' to Relena at the last dance, I wouldn't have to ask you to do this again." Heero reminded.
"I know, I know," Duo sighed. "Alright, I'll do it, but this IS the last time I do this, Yui. And I think after this, YOU owe ME."
"Agreed,"responded Heero.
"So, are you going to get Quatre to 'borrow' another dress?"
"I was thinking about it, it worked the last time, his sister never did find out, I don't think," Heero said.
"Remind him it can't be the same dress as last time, girls are funny about things like that," Duo said.
It was the evening of the dance, everyone was arriving. Heero and Duo were getting out of the limo. Heero once again was wearing that form fitting tuxedo and once again getting admiring stares from the girls and jealous glares from their dates. Duo was wearing an emerald green satin gown with an off the shoulder neckline. Emeralds encircled his neck and his wrist with a matching pair of earrings to set it off. A silvered silk wrap with matching heels and clutch completed the ensemble. This time he wore his hair down in waves and curls cascading down his back. Once again all the boys stared admiringly and their dates jabbed them with their elbows in disapproval. The crowd murmured to one another. They were easily the most attractive couple there.
No sooner had they entered the ballroom when Relena pounced on them.
"Heero, I'm SO glad to see you came," she gushed. "And you brought your 'fiance'," she said with fake warmth in her voice.
She turned to Duo and offered her hand, "It is so nice to see you again, although we were never properly introduced the last time."
"Oh, I remember your name, it's Relena,"Duo said. (Now what was that name Heero and I came up with?). Duo couldn't remember, so he blurted out the first name that came to mind.
"My name is Anna,,"he said. "Belle,"said Heero at the same time.
"Annabelle,"Heero said, nudging Duo to be quiet. "She doesn't like her full name and prefers 'Anna', but I call her 'Annabelle' anyway." Heero said, thinking fast on his feet.
"Well, it is nice to be formally introduced to you, at last," Relena said, feeling as smug as a snake that had cornered it's prey.
"Please, come join me at our table," Relena invited, wrapping her arm around Heero's. "It's this way."
"I thought the seating was assigned," Heero said.
"It is, you are seated at the same table as me, isn't that lovely?" Relena cooed.
"Oh yeah, just lovely,"Duo muttered.
Relena led them to their table and they sat down. Relena went up to the podium and announced through the PA system, "Before we start the dance, we have a little surprise. All the couples are to have their photographs taken as this event will have it's own special place in our yearbook. I am requesting that all couples have their photos taken, now don't be shy."
"There are several photographers here so it won't take too much time away from the dance itself. Please start lining up. Thank you." She then returned to her date and her seat.
Everyone started getting up and heading for a line to have their pictures taken. Relena hovered over Heero and Duo, so there was no way they could get out of it. Once it was their turn, they stood before the photographer, ready to pose for their picture and feeling very stupid.
Just before the photographer snapped the picture, Relena spoke up, like she just had a terrific idea.
"Wait," she said. "I have an idea. Please, since you are the only engaged couple in the school, I must insist you kiss when he takes your picture."
The boys looked at one another, "No way we're doing that," they were both thinking.
Heero said, "We just want a traditional pose taken, if you don't mind." Duo nodded his head.
"Oh, please it would make this section of the yearbook even more special. Please, everybody,"she started addressing the whole crowd. "Don't you think that would be a wonderful picture for the yearbook?"
Everyone started applauding Relena's idea and started chanting "Kiss, kiss, kiss." in unison.
"When I said I'd do anything for a mission, I never imagined this. This really is above and beyond the call of duty, Heero," Duo said, starting to squirm.
"Let's try to make the best of it and make it a really short kiss," Heero said. "We can get away with it, just barely touch my lips, ok."
"Ok, and Heero?" Duo started.
"What," Heero returned.
"No tongue," Duo said with a smirk.
They touched lips, making it look like they were kissing, the picture was taken. Heero sneaked out, a little later, to perform his mission. Relena noticed Duo was sitting alone at the table, from the dance floor. After the dance was through, she went over to him.
"Where's Heero?" she inquired.
"Oh, he got a page from his father, he went to go call him," Duo said. They had already worked that one out before Heero left.
"I hope his call doesn't take too long. I'm afraid that with everyone coupled up tonight, you're not going to dance as much as you did the last time." Relena said, sympathetically.
"Oh, believe me, that's QUITE alright," said Duo, mentally rubbing his feet.
Relena returned to her date and her dancing, she didn't need to bother them anymore tonight, the first part of her plan had been fulfilled.
Heero returned almost at the end of the dance, program disc in pocket. He told Duo, "Mission accomplished."
One week later, with the new issue of the school newspaper hot off the press that morning, there was an interesting article at the bottom of the front page. It consisted of 2 pictures and a caption. The first picture was the one of Heero and Duo taken at the dance, kissing. The second was the ID picture of Duo taken when he had enrolled at the school. The caption read "Look familiar?"
Heero withdrew that afternoon.
Let me know what you think.
Please, no flames, Relena has to win sometimes.
KwyckSylver
Please send comments to: kwycksylver@yahoo.com