24-Dec-2003
Pleasantly Warm (Relena/Noin get-together)
Author's Notes: I've also got Unefic (written for WaW) to post, but I think I may wait a while with that. I don't think angst is really appropriate at present. The following, however, is happy. And sort of sweet. And I am never, ever, writing a get-together again (or at least, not for a very long time), so you had better enjoy it. *laughs*
Beta'd by Granate and Akai. *hugs*
Warnings for shoujo-ai and sap.
Pairing is Relena/Noin.
Hope you like!
"God it's cold," said Noin, stripping off her soaked Preventers jacket and shirt, and laying them over the radiator to dry. "Is this thing even on?" She touched a hand to the radiator. "Mm, barely. I'll turn it up a little."
Relena followed her into the flat, half-purposefully stepping in the wet marks left by Noin's shoes, and closed the door. Noin was bending over by the heating control, twiddling with it. Her hair was wet and clinging to her face and neck, and drops of water were running down from the ends, forming little bright lines along her collarbone and lower, and dampening the top of her vest. The fine dark hairs of her arms were standing on end, and Relena felt an urge to stroke them back down again, to lie flat along Noin's skin. It was a strange thing to think. Perhaps she was losing her brain.
"It's on at twenty," said Noin, frowning at the dial. "It should be warmer than this."
"It probably only just came on. We set it for six-thirty, didn't we?" Relena tapped at the radiator herself. "It'll warm up soon."
Noin stood up and shivered. "Still cold now though," she said.
"I'm sorry you had to get wet," said Relena, feeling guilty. "I shouldn't have asked you to wait. It's kind enough that you stop off to walk home with me in the first place. I shouldn't make you delay. Then you could have walked home in the sunshine."
"Nah, don't say that -- it's my fault." Noin smiled at her. "Should've remembered to bring an umbrella. Besides, you didn't know it was going to rain. Hey, aren't you going to take that thing off?" she added, indicating Relena's anorak. "You aren't going to spend the whole evening in it, are you?"
"I don't know," said Relena, absently. Noin's smile had caught her off guard.
"Oh come on! It's ghastly!" Noin kicked off her boots as she spoke, and sat herself down on a stool, to work on tugging her right sock off. The damp had caused it to stick to her foot, and she was having trouble. Relena watched, fascinated.
"Hm?" said Relena. Noin finally won the battle with the right sock, and began attacking the left.
"That coat of yours!" Noin paused mid-combat, to wave the already defeated sock about. "It makes you look like a fluorescent yellow space invader, or something. I mean, I guess it keeps you dry, but you could at least put it away when we're indoors." She gave the sock a particularly violent wave, and it flew out of her hand and through the air, hit Relena in the shoulder, and collapsed to the ground in a damp, rather sad-looking dark grey heap, a puddle of water forming around it. Relena picked it up and inspected it, then tossed it back at Noin. Noin caught it without even looking up. Show off.
"I suppose I could," said Relena, considering. The anorak was ugly -- it was one of those bright, plastic things that fold up very small, and have hoods that can be drawn in so tight around the wearer's face that all you can see is their nose -- but she rather liked to annoy Noin.
"Go on, take it off," said Noin, almost falling over backwards as she finally managed to remove sock #2. "It's your night to cook, and you can't cook in that thing. I'm taking a bath." She gathered up her discarded clothing into a ball, and stuffed it into the dirty clothes basket. "Make something warm," she said, and then shut the bathroom door behind her.
Soon, Relena heard the sound of water running, and Noin humming a little out of tune to herself as she took off the rest of her clothes. She smiled to herself, and hung her anorak up on the front door, then moved to the kitchen area of the flat to see what ingredients they had.
When Noin came out of the bathroom, all wrapped up in a couple of fluffy white towels, Relena had a big pan of something simmering over the hob.
"Smells good," Noin said, turning into her own room to get dressed. "What is it?"
"Potato casserole," Relena called after her. "I just added the potatoes -- um, it seems I cooked a few too many." She indicated a second pan, to one side, and then realised that Noin couldn't see her. "It'll be another twenty-five minutes, I'm afraid, and it's nothing special, but--"
"It's perfect." Noin re-emerged, now dressed in jeans and a chunky blue jumper. Relena couldn't work out how it was that Noin always managed to get changed so quickly. Perhaps she'd had special OZ training. "Want me to watch over this, so you can get washed yourself?" Noin said.
"So long as you don't eat it." Relena swirled her spoon round in the mixture in a figure of eight, and then lifted some up to let it drizzle back down into the pan. "Thank-you."
Noin stepped up behind her, and closed her hand over Relena's, holding the spoon. They stirred together, lazily. Relena could feel Noin's breasts pressed against her back, and the lean muscle of Noin's arm through the material of their clothes. It was very much like being held. She lent back a little, with a vague idea she probably shouldn't, but unable to help herself. Noin made a low, murmuring sound, and laid her free hand upon Relena's shoulder. With her thumb, she made tiny stroking motions against Relena's back. Relena's eyes slid shut. Her brain, she decided, had definitely left the building.
"Aren't you going, then?" Noin said, presently.
"Going?" Relena opened her eyes, confused.
Noin laughed. "I thought we agreed I was going to do this to free you up. Did you decide not to wash after all?"
"I don't think I can," Relena said; "I'm trapped."
"Hm, so you are." Noin sounded pleased with herself. "In fact, I think I've got you."
"Yes, I suppose you have. Do you plan to let me go?" Relena asked.
"I don't know," said Noin, "I think I may keep you to eat with my stew."
"Casserole," Relena corrected automatically.
"Never could tell the difference," Noin said with a shrug. Her hand dropped away from Relena's shoulder.
"Commoner," said Relena.
"Princess," said Noin.
Relena let go the spoon, allowing Noin to take it, and squeezed out through the gap between Noin's body and the kitchen counter. She checked the clock.
"Still another twelve minutes," Relena said; "I've got time for a quick shower."
"I'll wait if you take longer," said Noin. "I know you aristocrats like to pamper yourselves."
"I'll be back here with time to spare," said Relena.
"If you say so," said Noin.
"I do."
"Hey, isn't there some kind of big do tomorrow?" said Noin, as they ate their food.
"The grand opening of the new Memorial something-or-other," said Relena. She was feeling more herself now; the shower had helped. "I don't know why I still get invited to these things. I'm not a minister any more; I'm just a student." She ate a piece of potato.
Noin shook her head. "You're not. You did some great things for the world. It's not unnatural that people are grateful."
"What I did was very little, and you know it," Relena replied. Noin knew well enough not to push it.
"Do you think you'll go?" Noin said. "I could come along with -- no invite, but no-one'll object -- and cover for you while you sneak off into a corner with Quatre. I assume he'll be there." They'd done this before. Noin never seemed to mind.
"He will be. He's co-organising it with Sylvia," said Relena. "Mm, I'm thirsty." She stood. "Want something to drink?"
"Nah, I'm fine," said Noin, and then, "Right! So I guess it's all settled!"
"I don't know about that," Relena said, her head in a cupboard. "Noin, where are all the glasses? There's nothing in here but a mixing bowl."
"Off up over the counter," said Noin. "Sorry. I moved them this morning, after you went out. Was tired of having to get on my hands and knees every time I wanted a drink. Why don't you know?" she asked. "Is there a problem?"
"Up here you mean?" -- Noin nodded, and Relena got herself a glass. "You could have told me," Relena said. She poured herself some water, and returned to the table.
"Sorry. Forgot." Noin looked apologetic. "Actually, I only just remembered -- I probably would've gone to the old cupboard myself. That would've been a weird few moments," she said. "Why don't you know?"
"Hm? Oh. You mean about tomorrow?" Relena sipped at her water. "Are you sure you want to go? Won't Wufei be there?"
"You like Wufei," Noin said.
"Yes, but you don't."
"Well, he never attends these things anyway, so it doesn't matter," Noin said. "Now, are we going, or not? Not that I mind, but I'd like to know whether I'll be needing my dress uniform or not. I think it's still at the dry-cleaners'."
"I'll go," Relena said. She looked out of the window. "What I don't know is -- well, I doubt I'll sneak off with Quatre. We decided to break it off."
"Relena?" Noin didn't know what to say. "Is this -- When did this happen?" she managed.
"Last week," Relena said. "Um, we met for lunch on Thursday. Are you finished?" she asked. Noin's plate was empty. "There's more in the pan, if you want it."
"I'm full." Noin waved a hand, dismissing this line of conversation. "Look, I'm not going to ask why you didn't tell me earlier -- I'm sure you had your reasons. But, god, Relena, why didn't you tell me?"
Relena opened her mouth, closed it again, and then shook her head. "Peasant," she said. "Make up your mind."
Noin realised her mistake, and tried not to be amused. She shouldn't let Relena avoid the subject like this; she didn't think she'd be able to bring it up again that evening. But, there Relena was, sitting before her, a smile on her face, and her eyes dancing -- Noin failed.
"You know, I'm usually a little better at keeping my word than that," Noin said, rubbing her forehead and grinning.
"I know," said Relena, feeling she had escaped Noin's questioning. She was glad. She had been dreading going over this matter with Noin; she didn't want to have to explain herself. If she was honest with herself, she wasn't sure that she *could* explain -- or even knew what it was that required explanation. She knew the discussion would be a difficult one -- a potentially emotional one -- and therefore, to her mind, it was best avoided. Perhaps -- perhaps, said a little voice in her head, she was afraid. She closed her ears to it.
"Still, this must bring your average down a little, mustn't it?" she said, standing to clear away the dirty things. "You really shouldn't be so careless."
"Oh, I can afford to be," said Noin, with an expansive gesture. She too stood, and followed Relena to the sink. "I'll wash, you dry," she said, and then, returning to her previous thread: "In general, I'm reliable as reliable as reliable can be -- almost *too* reliable. One tiny incident barely makes a dent in my reliability. That's just -- what? -- one exceptional event in a month? I do at least ten reliable things every day!" She held up the bottle of washing up liquid, as if it were a trophy. "You can rely upon Lucrezia Noin."
Relena removed the bottle from Noin's grasp, and squeezed some of the contents into the sink. "Now you're making yourself sound boring and ordinary," she said, turning on the taps. "By the way, I thought you were supposed to be washing? Anyway, it's quite obvious you're not."
"Not ordinary, or not washing?" said Noin. "I think if I *were* washing, I would have to be ordinary. You can't get much more mundane than that."
"I meant ordinary, but the latter also applies," said Relena, looking pointedly at the dirty dishes.
"Ah, well, that's to protect my secret identity," said Noin, finally beginning work on one of the plates. "I have to be very ordinary, otherwise people might begin to suspect. And, the not-washing-dishes was your fault. You kept distracting me."
"Because I am so very distracting," Relena said.
"Very." Noin handed the plate to Relena, who handed it back, tilting it to show where it was still dirty. "Now, aren't you going to ask who I am?" Noin said.
"Lucrezia Noin?" said Relena, with an innocent expression.
"Funny." Noin handed the plate to Relena a second time, and this time, it passed inspection. Relena began rubbing it dry with the tea towel. "You know what I mean."
"Yes, but I'm not sure I should indulge you," Relena said.
"Go on," said Noin, "you know you want to!"
"I do?" said Relena -- but in a way, she really did. "Oh, very well. What is your secret identity?"
Noin grinned in the way a homicidal maniac might, upon receiving their very first high-grade explosive. She straightened her back, coughed deliberately, and began: "To all appearances, I am ordinary Lucrezia Noin, pusher of paper at Preventers head office, and occasional crime-fighter." The grin widened, and Relena found she couldn't help but return it. Noin winked at her, and Relena, embarrassed, tried very hard to look solemn.
"However," Noin went on, "unknown to all but my closest friends, I am actually the sole survivor of a brutal massacre that took place just three years after my birth, Princess Lucrezia of Sink!"
"...Uh," said Relena, articulately. She bent her head and closed her eyes, repressing a groan. "Uh, Noin, that was really terrible."
Noin flushed. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Stick to washing dishes," said Relena.
Noin found a fork in the now-lukewarm soapy water, and set about following Relena's advice.
They finished the washing up quickly, and then Noin made coffee. Relena sat back in the armchair, her mug in her hands, while Noin fiddled about adding cream and sugar to hers.
They'd been living together for over half a year now. Upon the Mars terraforming project's completion, Zechs had joined a team involved in space exploration -- apparently feeling himself unsuited to normal human society -- and Noin had returned to Earth. Relena understood it had been an amicable parting, and that the two had not, as she had previously believed, been romantically involved. "Just close friends," Noin had said. Noin had wanted a place to live, and Relena, living alone and somewhat lonely, had welcomed the idea of a flatmate.
Relena herself was studying history at university. Once the world had settled down a bit, and she felt confident that the Earth and the Colonies were willing to negotiate without her, she had given up her position as Vice-Foreign Minister, in favour of resuming her education. She had loved her work, but had felt it was bad for her, to have so much responsibility so early. It had been making her old before her time. She would return when she was ready. She was not gone forever.
"You used to be such a kid," Noin said, looking at her from over the kitchen counter.
Relena was surprised, but not unpleasantly. "Have you been listening to my thoughts?" she said.
"No, just remembering you and your orange juice, back in the Sanc Kingdom," Noin said. "Didn't you used to preach to me about the Evils of Caffeine?" She chuckled.
"Well, I never said evil was necessarily a bad thing," said Relena. She sipped her coffee. "In fact, I personally am of the opinion that evil, when properly prepared, can be a very good thing indeed."
Noin drank some of hers. "I'm definitely with you on that," she said. "So, which thoughts might I have been listening to? Not getting nostalgic, are you?"
"Well, not exactly," Relena said. "I was thinking about the past, yes -- but more in a sense of how things came to be this way. That's not really nostalgia."
"Mm," said Noin. "Are you happy?"
"Right now, you mean?" Relena smiled. "Yes, very."
Noin smiled back. "That's good," she said; "Me too."
They drank their coffee. The rain was still pouring, beating harsh rhythms on the windows, but the flat had warmed up, just as Relena had predicted, and even if it had not, she felt, they would have been comfortable. There was something in the atmosphere -- this evening, the two of them, this coffee... A little cold couldn't spoil it.
Relena looked at her empty mug, feeling drowsy. It was too early for sleep, but she didn't feel capable of doing anything. She leant back in the chair, allowing almost her whole weight to be supported. She smiled to herself. She was at peace.
"You okay there?"
Relena opened her eyes to find Noin leaning over her. Noin's hair was falling into her face, and her bright blue eyes held a trace of concern, as well as tenderness. Noin smiled, wonderfully, and Relena felt a mirror-smile forming on her own face.
"Guess you fell asleep," said Noin.
Relena considered this, and found it to be true. She wondered if it should bother her. But, Noin was still there, her face very close, her eyes very blue, the world very light. Noin's hand touched Relena's arm, and Relena shivered as something electric and delicious passed through her.
"Cold?" said Noin.
Noin's face came closer, her hair now brushing against Relena's cheek where it was longest, and at that moment, it seemed the most logical thing in the world for Relena to reach up with one hand, and pull Noin in for a kiss. How insane, to be speaking of cold, Relena thought, as her Noin's lips moved against her own; how insane, when everything was so perfectly, pleasantly warm.
The kiss drew on, and came to a close. Noin slowly pulled back, her expression thick -- just like her coffee, Relena thought. Noin always drank coffee sweet, and creamy. It was silly, really -- she might as well have hot chocolate. But it made her taste nice.
"Um," said Noin. She looked as if she couldn't understand what had just happened.
"I'm going to bed," Relena declared; "I'm sleepy."
Noin opened her mouth to say something in return, and then closed it again. Relena's door shut behind her. Noin sat down in the chair Relena had been occupying, and wondered if she might have been hallucinating. She stayed there for a very long time.
Relena awoke early, probably because she had gone to bed early. She got up and checked that her things were in order for the day, and then started reading a novel. She didn't want to start working quite yet.
At seven o'clock, her alarm went off, and she went to wake Noin, and make herself breakfast.
This was the one meal of the day the two always -- always, unless it was completely impossible -- ate together. It was a little tradition they had started when Relena was Princess of the Sanc Kingdom, and they had picked it up again when Noin moved in to the flat. They rarely at the same thing, and were sometimes in so much of a hurry that they barely sat down and got up again, but that wasn't important. What was important, was that they ate breakfast together.
"How long've you been up?" Noin said, munching on toast and marmalade. Noin herself had been awake for less than a quarter of an hour, and yet was already showered, dressed and ready to go. OZ training again, Relena assumed. It was like magic.
"A couple of hours," Relena said. She sipped at her coffee, feeling a little embarrassed. She was still in her nightwear, and wasn't sure she'd even brushed her hair. When she'd been in her job, she'd done those sorts of things automatically, but recently, she'd become a lot less disciplined. Not that she really needed to be, at present. Still, when she'd finished her studies, it would be nice to find that she hadn't completely forgotten her old habits.
"Yeah, you went to bed really early last night," said Noin. "You -- yeah. Yeah, I guess that's nothing really. Yeah, um -- Oh, anyway, I won't be able to get here in time to then go on to the do this evening, so I guess I'll just change at work and go on from there. I'll pick my uniform up from the cleaners' at lunch time."
"All right," said Relena, confused. Noin seemed so agitated, suddenly. It was jarring.
"So, I guess I'll see you there!" Noin grinned and got up to take her dirty plate to the sink. "What'll you be wearing?" she asked.
"Oh, I suppose that old white dress will do," said Relena. "I'm always expected to wear white."
"Yeah, right, that thing you wore to the Noventa thing the other month? You wore that when you announced your retirement too, right? I saw that on the television the other day -- they were showing the speech you gave. I didn't see it the first time -- just got your message on the vid-phone -- no television on Mars. Not then, anyway, I think they've set something up recently. Didn't Zechs say something about it...?" said Noin. "Yeah, that's a nice dress."
"Um. Thank-you," said Relena. She went to her room to get ready to go. Perhaps Noin would become more collected if left alone for a little while. Perhaps Relena would work out the cause -- she felt she ought to know. Noin was so rarely anything other than completely *herself*; whatever had unsettled her must have been something quite major. Relena had a feeling it might have been something that happened last night, but she couldn't quite lay a finger on it. Her memory of the whole evening was a bit of a blur. It was frustrating. She tried to relax. Whatever it was she needed to remember, it would come to her, with time.
Noin was waiting for her by the door when Relena came out.
"Ready?" Noin said.
Relena looked back into her room to check she hadn't left anything, and felt her pocket for her keys. They were there. "I'm ready."
It wasn't absolutely necessary that they leave the flat together, but they tended to prefer to do so, where practical. Noin locked the front door, and they started down the stairs.
Just before they reached the main entrance, Noin said, "Oh, yeah, and, about last night. I mean, about what happened." She looked down, and then up. "Yeah, well, I just wanted to say, I'm not going to read too much into it. You're going through some stuff -- you broke up with Quatre -- sometimes people do weird things. Don't worry about it, all right?" Noin smiled as she opened the door onto the street. "Anyway, see you this evening!"
Relena watched, speechless, as Noin walked away. Last night, she remembered thinking she had lost her brain. Now she knew it. She took a big breath -- as if the air had the power to clear away her sudden confusion -- and set off towards the university. She wouldn't think about -- last night. It was too confusing! She would think about the Italian Unification. She was sure Cavour had never kissed his best friend. Or Garibaldi.
Noin arrived at the do a little late, but Relena was more so. As Relena walked in, the press took photos. She smiled.
"Traffic jam," Relena explained to Noin, once they had found each other, and the main speeches of the evening were over. "Are you hungry?"
Noin understood that this was Relena's way of saying that Relena was hungry, and guided her to the nibbles.
Relena ate a small sandwich. "How was your day?" she said.
"Ordinary," said Noin. "Oh, I was supposed to do some security thing to minimise the possibility of a terrorist attack on this event, but then the coffee machine broke and Une got distracted, so I got off with playing Liberated Cell all afternoon instead."
"Liar," said Relena, liberating a glass of champagne as a waiter passed them.
"Well, not about the coffee machine," said Noin; "That really did break. But, I don't do that kind of security stuff, in general. I suppose it's possible Heero ditched in favour of computer games, but it doesn't seem likely."
Relena giggled. "Oh, there's Dorothy," she said. Dorothy had just come in -- latest of the late, as usual. "I'll go and say 'hello' now, before she's too busy fending off men to deal with me. Want to come?"
"Nah, she won't expect me to," said Noin. She had seen Une moving towards them, and understood why Relena wanted to be away. "You go," she said. Relena did.
Noin wished that Relena could be more comfortable around Une. She understood why she wasn't, though. She knew the feeling.
"How is she?" Une said, watching as Relena greeted Dorothy.
"She's good," said Noin, turning to face her 'boss'. She still couldn't really think of Une as anything but an equal. "Sorry she--"
"There's no need to apologise." Une smiled, a little sadly. "It's amazing she doesn't detest me."
Noin smiled back. "She isn't capable of it."
After Dorothy, Relena spoke to Quatre, and then he left her to speak with Sylvia. She returned to the buffet table -- the sandwich hadn't been enough -- and looked back as she caught Quatre's voice, responding to something Sylvia had said.
"You okay?" said Noin, from beside her.
Relena turned about sharply. She hadn't heard Noin's approach. Special OZ training again, she supposed. Although, if they had spent much time teaching skills like sneaking-up-behind-ex-politicians, and getting-dressed-very-quickly, it was no wonder they had lost the war.
"I'm fine," Relena said. "Why?"
Noin silently motioned with her head in the direction of where Quatre and Sylvia were standing together. Quatre now had his hand on Sylvia's arm, and it was true, they did look rather like a couple.
"I don't mind it," Relena said, smiling. "They've been close friends for a good while now. I wasn't jealous when I was *with* him; why should I be now?"
Noin looked unconvinced. "Are you sure?" she said, studying Relena closely.
Relena looked down, embarrassed. She felt she was a little more pleased by Noin's concern than their friendship justified. Unfortunately, Noin misread her.
"Relena -- you know, there's nothing wrong with it," Noin said, "if you *are* a little jealous today. There's no law that says you shouldn't be."
Relena laughed lightly. "Truly, I'm not!" she said, raising her head so that Noin could see her smile. "I -- Ah, Sally!" Sally Po was coming near them, either to say hello, or to get something to eat -- or both. "I didn't realise you were back," Relena went on. "How was ZX-019?"
"My shuttle just got in this morning," Sally said, helping herself to one of the more exotic-looking nibbles on the table. "I'm only here because Une wanted help with the mingling. Personally, I think she just wanted an excuse to be able to go home early," she added, in a lower voice.
"Heaven knows she hates these things," Noin agreed. "It's kind of a shame -- she never seems to do anything but work."
"She's still grieving," said Sally, her face suddenly serious.
"Yeah," said Noin, softly. "Yeah, she is."
Relena looked uncomfortable.
"Anyway," Noin said, her voice taking on a more cheerful tone, "how *was* 019? I went there once when I was still a cadet -- during training -- and it seemed pretty nice. A lot better than most of the Colonies were, under the Alliance. Still, a lot can change, with an artificial environment."
"Or even without," Relena said, thinking of Sanc. Since the wars, it had been rebuilt, but it was not the place it had been. Some of the beauty -- the nobility -- it had held was lost forever. Perhaps some things weren't suited to the present age.
"Mm," said Noin, probably thinking of the same thing.
Sally, however, was oblivious to this change in the conversation. "It was fine," she said, speaking of the colony. Both Relena and Noin felt a jar as they realised a third person was with them. "I didn't really see much." Sally grinned apologetically. "Still, the trip wasn't bad, for work."
"Is the statue of Heero Yuy -- the original Heero Yuy -- still there?" asked Relena. "I saw it once with my father."
"Yep, still there," replied Sally. She paused for a moment to eat another of the nibbles. "So, how's Quatre? Have you decided on a date for the wedding?" she teased.
"Sally," Noin began, wanting to save Relena from having to give an explanation. But Relena could speak for herself.
"I doubt a wedding would be appropriate," Relena said. "We broke it off last week Thursday." She wondered absently where her champagne had got to, and decided a vol au vent would have to do in its place.
"Oh," said Sally, reddening. "Oh. So, did I just put my foot in it?"
"Well -- yeah, kind of," said Noin. She looked at Relena, who was eating, and thus not currently obliged to speak. Now why hadn't Noin thought of that?
"Um, sorry about that." Sally put one hand up to the back of her neck, in a motion that was decidedly Duo-esque. The two had been partnered together a lot recently on missions; perhaps she had picked up a few of his habits. "Are you okay?" Sally said to Relena.
Relena swallowed vol au vent. "Oh, I'm fine -- thank you," she said. "It was a mutual decision; no hard feelings, or anything like that. In the end, it was really a matter of our not feeling strongly enough about one another to keep on, more than anything else." Her eyes flicked to Noin, who nodded, slowly. Relena hoped she had understood.
"Mm. Sometimes, these things just don't work out," said Sally.
"Exactly." Relena smiled.
"Lots of people here," Sally said, after a moment. As subject changes went, it was not terrible, but far from Relena's 9.8 average. "Have you spoken to Wufei yet? I know he wouldn't want to miss you." Wufei and Relena had got to know each other after he joined the Preventers. They spent a lot of time arguing over politics, but that didn't stop them from having a great deal of respect for one another.
"Wufei's here?" Noin asked, surprised. "I didn't think -- I don't think I've seen him. Have you?" she said, turning to Relena.
"No," Relena said. "Sally, are you sure he's here? Noin and I both thought he wasn't coming."
"Well, he was certainly around earlier," Sally said. "I don't know if he-- Yes, there he is. Hey, Wufei!" she called out. Several people turned to look in their direction. Wufei, standing by the wall talking with Dorothy, grimaced, and then changed his expression to something more polite when he saw Relena. Dorothy said something to him, and he rolled his eyes, and then she left him to join another group of people.
"Relena, Noin," said Wufei, approaching. "Sally."
Relena looked at Noin, questioning. Noin shrugged, helplessly. There wasn't much they could do, now that he was there.
"It's good to see you," said Relena, turning to Wufei. "An unexpected treat."
Wufei frowned. "Unexpected?" he said, "How so? All the Preventers were invited -- you should have known."
"Ah, yes," said Relena, "I knew. Nevertheless, I was convinced you wouldn't turn up."
Wufei shook his head, "Women," he said, with obvious scorn. "Noin, you should have told her." Apparently, Noin no longer fell into the category of 'women'.
"I what?" For a second, Noin looked angry. Very few people took Wufei's sexism seriously any more, but for her, it was a sensitive subject. "Actually, I thought the same," she said, shaking herself. She didn't want to get angry. "I thought you shunned these things."
"That's ridiculous," he said. "What made you think something like that?"
Noin opened her mouth to reply, but was stopped by an exclamation from Relena:
"Oh!"
"Oh, I'm sorry," Relena said, flushing under the attention of the other three. She raised a hand to her temple. "No, I'm fine now -- it's nothing -- sorry." She smiled apologetically. "I felt a bit off for a moment, but it's gone now."
"Relena -- are you sure you're okay?" Sally said, drawing close to her. Wufei too looked concerned.
"Hm? Oh, yes, I'm fine, really!" Relena smiled again. The expression looked strained.
Sally shook her head. "You should go home," she said. "You look tired -- get some rest. Noin?"
"Yeah," said Noin, slowly. "I'll take her."
"Oh, no, I couldn't!" Relena protested.
"Of course you could," Wufei snorted. "Don't make yourself ill."
"But I--"
"Come on you," Noin interrupted, laying a hand on Relena's shoulder. To Sally she added: "Sorry to leave you like this."
"Don't be," Sally said, "Just make sure she gets some rest. She's not as invincible as she thinks, you know."
"She doesn't think that any more," said Noin. Apparently, both she and Sally had forgotten that Relena could speak for herself. "Anyway, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yes, until then," Sally said. Wufei nodded.
"I'm very sorry," Relena said.
"Don't," said Sally. "Get out of here. It's not like you'll never see us again."
"She knows," said Noin; "she just likes to apologise." She smiled at Sally. "Bye!"
"Bring her to work some time -- then we can talk properly!" Sally shouted, just as Noin and Relena were turning to go.
"I will," said Noin. Sally laughed, perhaps because she could, and then murmured something to Wufei. Relena took Noin's arm, and the two walked out of the room.
They collected their things from reception, and then went out through a side door, to avoid attention. Outside it was cool, although not so cold as it had been the previous evening. Relena pulled on her coat.
"You didn't have to do that, you know," Noin said.
"Do what?" said Relena, automatically.
"Feign illness, just to get me away from Wufei," Noin said. "You do realise, we work in the same place -- there are times when I *have* to deal with him."
"That doesn't mean you have to deal with him always," Relena said.
"Still -- you didn't have to," Noin repeated.
Relena knew that, but: "I wanted to," she said, firmly.
Noin did not push further.
They set off for home, in unspoken agreement that they would walk, not take a taxi. After a few minutes, Noin took them down a residential street. "Pleasanter than the main road," she said. Relena 'mm'ed in agreement.
It was very quiet. Relena could hear cars speeding along in the background, their drivers urgent to get wherever they were going, no doubt, but from here the noise felt different, soothing, as if subtly altered to be more appropriate to the setting. Two men talking at the front door of one of the houses seemed quite out of place; too normal and everyday for this still world of unreality. One of them stopped, mid-sentence, to stare at Noin's uniform, before resuming the conversation a minute later. Noin didn't look as if she noticed.
A cat came up to them, and rubbed against Relena's legs. She knelt down to stroke it, but it had an apparent change of heart, and moved quickly away, disappearing into someone's front garden. As Relena stood, Noin said:
"Are you really okay about Quatre?"
Relena let the atmosphere go, reluctantly.
"I know I probably shouldn't ask again," Noin went on, "but -- reassure me, okay? You did take a while to tell me."
"I'm sorry," Relena said. "I should have done so earlier."
"That's not anywhere near as important to me as whether you're all right," said Noin.
"I am," Relena said. "In a way, I wish I weren't. It's just as I told Sally: I didn't care enough for him."
"That's not your fault."
"No, but waiting so long -- letting things go on when I should have been honest with him--" Relena looked down. "I shouldn't have done that."
Noin was silent.
"I didn't want to admit that I'd failed. To him or to you," Relena said.
"You made a mistake," replied Noin. "That's all. You didn't hurt him, did you?"
"Not much. Bruised his ego a little..." Relena started to smile, and then stopped herself. "But I could have," she said.
"Yeah, but you didn't."
Relena breathed, deeply. She had been lucky, she supposed. But she had still behaved wrongly.
"Not too much further now. Maybe ten more minutes," Noin said.
"All right," said Relena. Her head felt heavy with half-formed thoughts. She would be restless at home.
They rejoined the main road. This was the bit Relena went down when she walked home from the university. She and Noin had run down it yesterday, in the cold and rain, laughing and getting wet.
At the door to the flat, Relena fumbled with her keys, first using the wrong one, and then not being able to get the right one to work. She jerked it clockwise, and felt the mechanism begin to turn, but then it stuck, and the door wouldn't open. She tried twice more, but with no luck. On her fourth try, Noin came up behind her, and pressed the door forwards into the frame with one hand, placing the other over Relena's own, to turn the key with her. The position was so much like the one they had held yesterday, when Noin had stood and stirred their evening meal with her, that for a moment, Relena was completely caught in the memory. And then the door was opening, and they were walking inside, and Noin was drawing her hand away.
Relena pushed the door closed. "You're cold again," she said. Noin looked at her, and there was a *something* in Noin's eyes that made Relena feel inexplicably embarrassed. "Your hands, I mean," said Relena. She looked back, to check the door had closed properly. "Um. Your hand felt cold when you touched me."
"Oh. Poor circulation." Noin shrugged and grinned. "Sorry."
"No, don't be, I--" Relena stepped forwards and grabbed one of Noin's hands. "Here." She tugged Noin towards her. "I'll warm you up." Noin seemed about to pull away, but Relena ignored this, and began rubbing the captured hand briskly between her own. Her mind was in spin. She felt that things -- actions, words, looks, touches -- were suddenly taking on far more significance than they ever had before. She felt intensely afraid of making some mistake; of ruining *everything* (whatever everything was -- but she felt it, she knew it was there); but she couldn't stop; she had been swept up in something beyond her control. She realised she was blushing. She kept her head steadfastly down.
Noin's hand started to feel less cold. Relena wondered if Noin would notice if she held onto it forever. Probably.
"Um, it's um." Relena struggled with herself. She had to let the hand go. *Now,* before she did something insane, like -- whatever insane thing she might do. "Um, it's warmer now." She was still holding the hand.
"Yeah," said Noin. "Um, Relena..." Her eyes dropped down. She touched her free hand to the back of one of Relena's -- Relena almost jumped; this hand was still freezing; how was it someone like Noin could have such a cold hand? -- and looked back up.
Obviously, their kiss the previous day had not been about Quatre. And obviously, Noin must realise. The words ran through Relena like some sort of insane hope. She wanted, she realised -- not quite sure of *what*. She was really insane; she wanted--
Noin kissed her.
Later, Relena would think that she ought to have been surprised. Her best friend, with whom she'd been living for seven months, kissing her in the main room of their flat; holding her face with one cold hand and one warm one (and Relena had been sure that she had been holding one of Noin's hands, and she didn't remember letting it go, so perhaps it had escaped -- she didn't really mind if it had); and generally doing things that were not usually done between people who were just friends. She should certainly have been surprised, Relena would think. But at the time, she was overcome by how natural, how good -- how *right* it felt. Like the last piece of a jigsaw, fitting perfectly into place. It was a moment of 'just right'ness, and Relena was too caught up in the fact that it *was* to wonder why.
"I -- um," Noin said, when she pulled away. Relena had no idea how much time had gone by. She decided to kiss Noin back.
"I knew I was attracted to you," Noin said, later, after they had kissed some more. "Um, not when I moved in -- I wouldn't have -- but a little after."
"When?" said Relena.
"I don't remember exactly. It sounds silly, but, I just got into the habit of thinking, yeah, I'm attracted to you, but nothing'll ever come of it." Noin rubbed at her forehead. "Sometimes I thought I should leave, but--"
Relena shook her head. "I wouldn't have wanted that," she said. "Even if-- even if-- Well. You know, I was very lonely before." For a moment, she looked pensive, and then she smiled. "It's very good, having you here with me."
"Yeah." Noin touched Relena's cheek.
"I wouldn't have wanted you to leave."
Noin drew closer, and kissed Relena slowly and softly. "I didn't," she said. Her voice was low, and Relena could feel Noin's breath on her face.
"So, I suppose we're, um, together, now," Relena managed. She wondered where all her thoughts had gone. Quatre had never had this effect on her. She hoped she had this effect on Noin.
Noin laughed. "Yeah, I guess so. Do you think this is real?" She looked very happy.
"I don't know," said Relena. She thought of Quatre again. "Some things aren't."
Noin paused for a moment. One hand had still been cupping Relena's face, but now, Noin withdrew it carefully, letting it hang by her side. "Do you want it to be real?" she said.
Relena hesitated. She had to be honest here and now, she thought, or she could lose this all. She didn't want to lose this. She caught Noin's gaze, and felt warm all the way through. She would hold on to this for as long as she could. "Yes," she said, loading the word full with everything she felt; "Yes, I want -- all of this."
"Then I guess it's real," Noin said. She smiled in a way that made Relena think of blazing fires, and home.
It probably was.
The End
(:./psyche/pleasant)
