Just a quick little thing (or couple of things) written for the new GW500 community on LJ: http://livejournal.com/community/GW500 (go! Join! Write!).
No particular warnings. Pairings: Noin/Relena and Heero/Relena.
Relena opened the door. "Noin!" She smiled warmly, her face lighting up with affection. "I was worried you wouldn't get here in time!"
Noin looked apologetic. "I almost didn't. What time is it now?" She shook her coat-sleeve down her arm and turned her wrist so she could see the face of her watch. "Five minutes to. I guess I cut it kind of short. Sorry."
"No, don't be. You're here now, aren't you?" Relena paused for a moment, apparently lost in thought. "Anyway, don't just stand there in the cold -- you must be frozen! -- come in, come in!" Relena stepped aside to let Noin enter. Noin did, closing the door behind her.
"Is there enough time for me to take off my coat?" said Noin.
"Of course there is -- you're not *that* late."
"Yes I am," said Noin, good-humouredly.
"Still, there's time," Relena said. "Here, I'll take it," she added, as Noin undid the last button, and pushed the coat off her arms.
"Thank-you."
"It's not a problem."
Noin followed Relena to a cupboard at the back of the hallway. It opened to reveal at least thirty coats: many black or dark blue; a couple of plain leather jackets (one was Trowa's, the other -- Duo's, perhaps?); a child's duffel coat, complete with toggles (Mariemaia's, Noin supposed; no other child could have been invited); something long and red; something bright golden yellow (now that was *definitely* Dorothy's); and of course, a number of Preventers' jackets. Noin's own, Relena hung carefully on the far left. On the phone, Relena had given the impression that this would be a quite small, private gathering, but Noin was not particularly surprised to have been somewhat mislead. Relena had a habit of -- allowing people to form conclusions a little removed from the truth, Noin supposed was the nice way of putting it -- when she wanted a thing, and felt it wouldn't hurt anyone. Obviously, she had wanted Noin, here, tonight. Noin tried not to feel too pleased. Relena had probably done the same with all her guests. She just wanted everyone together.
Relena turned and took Noin's arm. It took Noin a moment to understand what she was doing, then one of Relena's hands was on Noin's watch, and Noin realised that she was checking the time. She was standing very close.
Relena's other guests began counting down.
"*Ten!*"
"*Nine!*"
"*Eight!*"
Relena's hands returned to her sides. "We'd better hurry," she said.
"*Seven!*"
Noin stayed where she was. She lifted a hand to Relena's shoulder, and Relena looked up, face confused, but also, Noin thought, trusting.
"*Six!""
Noin breathed.
"*Five*!"
Noin leaned in, and pressed a kiss to Relena's forehead. Relena froze. Noin kissed her again in the same place; then on her cheek; then her mouth.
"*Four!*" the guests shouted;
"*Three!*"
Relena pulled back. "What--
"*Two!*"
--are you doing?"
"*One!*"
Noin lowered her head. "I'm sorry," she murmured.
"*Zero!*"
The year closed, and all was wiped away.
Relena opened the door. "Heero!" She smiled warmly, her face lighting up with affection. "I was worried you wouldn't get here in time!"
Heero frowned. "I said I'd be here by eleven," he said. That had been his intention, but Noin had come down with the 'flu, and he'd had to escort a group of diplomats to a party in her stead. Frustrating, but unavoidable.
"Don't worry about it. You're here now, aren't you?" Relena paused for a moment, apparently lost in thought. "Anyway, don't just stand there in the cold -- you must be frozen! -- come in, come in!" Relena stepped aside to let Heero enter. He did, closing the door behind him.
"How many people are here?" said Heero. He could hear, faintly, Relena's guests talking in the main room. There were more than she had led him to believe there would be.
"Um, forty-seven. I mislead you a little, I'm sorry."
Heero shrugged. She had wanted him to come; he had come. The size of the gathering wasn't important.
"Here, let me take your coat," said Relena. Heero had removed it while they were talking, and was holding it under one arm. "We still have a little time, haven't we?"
"Three and a half minutes," said Heero. He handed the coat to her, and followed her down the hallway. "Thank-you," he added, as they approached the cupboard.
"It's not a problem."
Relena opened the cupboard, and rummaged a little for a free hanger. Heero looked at the other coats hanging up. Duo was here, he realised, and Trowa -- their leather jackets hung on the far right, next to a child's duffel coat he remembered Mariemaia had received from Wufei for Christmas. Wufei's own coat -- black, and heavy, with large pockets -- hung between a long red one Heero had seen Trowa's sister wear, and a number of Preventers' jackets from agents who, like Heero, had been on duty today, and unlike him, had not been in plain clothes.
Relena found a hanger, eventually, and hung Heero's coat next to a bright golden yellow one he recognised as belonging to Dorothy Catalonia. She turned and took hold of his lower left arm -- looking at his watch, he realised. Her hair brushed across the sleeve of his shirt. She was very close.
Relena's guests began counting down.
"*Ten!*"
"*Nine!*"
"*Eight!*"
Relena's hands returned to her sides. "We'd better hurry," she said.
"*Seven!*"
Heero stayed where he was. There wasn't time to reach the others now. He lifted a hand to Relena's shoulder, and she looked up at him.
"*Six!""
Their eyes met.
"*Five*!"
Heero leaned in, and pressed a kiss to Relena's forehead. She froze. Heero kissed her again in the same place; then on her cheek; then her mouth.
"*Four!*" the guests shouted;
"*Three!*"
Relena pulled back. "What--
"*Two!*"
--are you doing?"
"*One!*"
Heero kissed her again, more deeply. This time, Relena kissed back.
"*Zero!*"
The new year opened upon their new joy.
The End
(:./psyche/difference)
