Woke Up One Morning... Part 2
"I just want to congratulate and thank you both, again, on a wonderful job in capturing Rosmond," Lady Une compliments with a proud smile as she sits behind her desk. Beside me, Heero nods firmly along with me in response.
Considering how stiff my partner's shoulders are, I can tell how uncomfortable he is in getting any attention. 'Ro always was that way when it came to being recognized for what he thought was his duty that he had taken on. Honestly, I share that same notion, myself.
As far as we were concerned, it was just another successful mission to help keep the peace. Little does she have any idea how far left from routine this particular case had ended.
On that note, I smirk a bit while rubbing my fingertips over the band-aid covering my wedding band just to feel it. It's been fun keeping this little secret of our marriage from everyone. As far as any of our fellow Preventers are concerned, there is absolutely nothing different about Heero or me since we've returned to the office today.
The real test will come when we run into Wufei and Sally.
Being a couple themselves, if anyone would be able to pick up on any vibe of something being up, they would. Not long ago, they had to keep their own relationship under wraps for a time until Sal wound up pregnant and stepped down from field work to offer her services strictly to the medical ward only.
My thoughts are broken as our fearless leader goes on, "The World Department of Security had informed me that they would like to bestow the two of you with their highest honor medals of service in an award ceremony to be aired to the public at your earliest convenience."
Heero's slight shift in his seat is all that I need to know how he feels on the matter. Quickly rushing to both of our rescues, I smile, "Aw thanks, but no thanks, Une. We don't need some shiny pieces of metal to be presented for us to know that we did a good job."
At her surprised blinking, I shrug and suggest, "But why don't you go to the ceremony to accept the award on behalf of the Preventer agency as a whole? I'm sure that they wouldn't have a problem with that."
The words are only out for a second before my best friend adds in a near rush, "I agree that would be the best way of handling it. We are only two of a whole team responsible for tracking Rosmond down, after all." He discretely peers at me from the corner of his eye to tell me everything on his mind without saying a word.
Pausing for a moment, the Commander folds her arms and chuckles, "You two really are something. Very well. If that is what you really wish, then I will pass your requests on to the board." She tilts her head and offers, "At the very least, in my own appreciation, take the rest of the day off and get an early start on your paid weekend."
I stand from my seat, laughing, "Now that I'll gladly take!" Extending my hand, I exchange a firm handshake with Lady Une and Heero does the same before we head out of her office together.
As soon as her door closes behind us and we are alone in the room, my husband- man, it's still so weird to think that- sighs and turns to face me. "Thanks," he grins sincerely. And there is so much more that he is thanking me for besides bailing him out a moment ago.
He was thanking me for getting him.
Smiling and giving his shoulder a friendly slap, I smirk, "Don't mention it."
We walk down the hall towards the elevator as I comment, "Far as those award ceremonies go, you know I'm not a big fan of them myself. Nothing worse than getting dressed up in a stuffy tuxedo for some fancy food that looks better on the plate than it tastes..."
My babbling continues and instead of cutting me off as he normally would, Heero just smiles a bit wider and listens instead. Occasionally, our shoulders brush together during our trip to the parking lot.
Damn. Even those little touches send shock waves through me. And I can't help but wonder if it's any bit the same for him.
* * * * * *
Needless to say this second night of sleeping together as a married couple is much less nerve-wracking than the last night. Heero closes his laptop and turns out the desk lamp beside the bed when I enter the room to turn in.
Without any hesitation or awkwardness, we slip into our halves of the bed and move to the middle towards each other. Turning my back to my partner, I settle when he pulls me close towards his chest as if I am some kind of security blanket for him.
At least, I hope that he is comfortable enough to consider me that after all of our time together.
There's a strange tension in Heero that I can sense from being this close to him and it has me on edge. Finally, I hear and feel him take a deep breath before he calls quietly, "Duo?"
"Yea?" I answer right away, looking over my shoulder to catch his eyes shining from the moonlight pouring into the room. Since I can't completely make them out, I can't read what's going on in that head of his.
But then Heero swallows roughly and I'm almost afraid of what it is that has him so tense.
His mouth opens and closes a couple of times before he finds his voice to make a request in such a quiet voice that I have to strain to hear. "Would you mind sleeping with your hair down?"
Relief fills my chest as I release the breath that I had been holding.
Grinning, I think back to how 'Ro had been staring at my hair when it down own a couple of mornings ago. He had seen it down on occasion, but I was always quick to tie or braid it back. I suppose that it was a security blanket of my own to have something that was my own.
Now that we're married, I really don't see why there should be anything I can't share.
Instead of answering with words, I smirk and reach back to remove the tie at the end of my braid. With ease, I work out the weaves until my hair is out of its own confinement and loosely falling around us.
The smile can be heard in Heero's voice as he pulls me close again with a soft, "Thank you." Gently, his fingers begin running through my hair, starting at my scalp in a soothing massage that has me practically purring. Instantly, any reserve I may have had over exposing myself in this way is gone as my eyes drift closed and I fall from the world.
* * * * * *
Our weekend together was just the break we needed after our long mission away from home. Between relaxing on the beach and reacquainting ourselves into our weekend routines, there was a real sense of normalcy again. Even with our wedding bands back in plain sight.
In fact, this whole marriage thing has been going so smoothly, I really don't know why the hell we hadn't come up with the idea on our own sooner! Other than a few shifts in our living arrangements, there really has not been that great of a change in my relationship with Heero.
The little bit of actual moving things around that needed to be done only solidified what subtle changes there actually were. So instead of individual bedrooms, we now have 'our' bedroom. The biggest testimony to how married we really are.
Blending our personal tastes and individual items was actually entertaining. From Heero's bookshelf filled with paper and hardbacks that he classified as his favorite reads to my stereo and quite large collection of music, the differences in belongings actually complimented each other.
Much like our personalities. 'Ro calms my hyper boldness and I help him live more than he had the chance to before. Yin and Yang, both very different but inseparable.
Now if we can really be certain about the love part being there.
I'm seated before the computer at the living room desk in my pajamas at this time, emailing Quatre and Trowa to see how things are before turning in. Looking over my shoulder to the entertainment system, I peer at the wedding DVD sticking out from its hiding place behind the player.
While a part of me wonders what our wedding was like, another part of me keeps me from actually watching the thing. I also know for a fact that Heero hasn't seen it yet, either. And I am just as unsure for his reasons not to as I am mine.
Maybe I'm afraid I'll be disappointed somehow. I mean, come on, we were intoxicated enough that we couldn't remember the event the day after. It's not really anyone's wish to think of themselves as a bumbling, stumbling idiot at their wedding, even if it was not really planned on.
Or maybe we're both afraid of jinxing what we have by making our marriage that much more real.
All we really have are our rings and a certificate with our joint last names to really go by. The actual vows are something much more meaningful. Not that either of us are wishing it, but if this trial fell apart, it would be a lot less difficult to break off the whole thing.
Just the thought of that has my throat constricting and I swallow roughly. Granted, I never was in a serious relationship before, but I know how I feel about Heero. And I really would like to see our relationship grow and stay solid.
Concerning the feelings that 'Ro may or may not have for me, I can't help but think that he may hold some kind of a candle for me. There are a few things that have me hopeful of that...
First- Heero was the one to suggest our staying married when I had given the option of a bailout from our marriage.
Second- Instead of simply suggesting we take our wedding rings off when we're in public, he came up with a way to conceal them instead.
Lastly, and the most reassuring thing of all- just how remarkably well he's taken the whole situation. Most people would have freaked to suddenly wake up married. Once the initial shock wore off, Heero really could not have handled the matter better.
Put all of those things together, and I believe that I have a case. At least... I hope that I do and I'm not over analyzing his behavior.
The sound of socked feet padding towards me catches my attention enough to peer from the corner of my eye while my fingers continue to type. Dressed in his own, bale blue pajamas, my partner grips the back of the chair I'm in to lean in and announce, "It's getting late and we have an early meeting at headquarters tomorrow."
Focusing back on the screen, I nod, "I'll be heading to bed in a couple minutes. Just finishing up here."
Suddenly, Heero is leaning forward as he mutters, "Alright."
There is just something in the way he's starting to lean over my shoulder has me turning my head towards him. And instantly, my heart is racing when I realized that his eyes are closed and his lips are parted in a move to claim a kiss when his hand wraps around the other side of my face. [1]
My wide-eyed shock only lasts a second as my body simply reacts to move towards him. Just as my own eyes drift closed, our lips meet in a simple, chaste closed-mouth kiss that lasts a whole five seconds before he pulls back.
Really, it was not the toe-curling, tongue-wrestling first kiss I'd always imagined having. But it's no less rattling or exciting to finally have had my first kiss with Heero... well, my first kiss to memory.
Blinking in surprise, I feel his hand slide away from my face as he grins down at me. I can still feel my lips tingling as I ask in a breath, "W-hat was that for?"
"Can't a guy give his husband a kiss 'goodnight?'" he smirks. Even with his cocky coyness, I can see in his cobalt eyes that the kiss did something for him, too.
Once again, I hope that I'm not over-reading the situation.
The shock of it all finally fades as I grin widely back. Winking, Heero turns and heads for the bedroom. In a flash, I quickly type a salutation and sign off the computer to all but run after my husband while unraveling my braid.
We curl easily into our spoon for the night with whispered 'goodnight's'. I don't push for anything more than that simple kiss a moment ago.
Over the last few days, I've decided that 'Ro is going to be in the driver's seat when it comes to the physical side of our relationship.
While I've always wanted to just grope and kiss the hell out of him, he needs to come to terms with what he is comfortable with. I can pull the reins back on my own wants and needs until he's ready to be more expressive in that sense.
Clearly, that simple kiss was all that Heero was ready for tonight. And I will gladly take that for now. You gotta learn to crawl before you can run.
At least that kiss was certainly a step in the right direction.
* * * * * *
Band-aids back in place to cover our rings, Heero and I returned to headquarters earlier this morning. There's a lightness in my step that I can't quite help and even my partner has a brighter air about him than usual.
Falling into our planned out day of meetings, follow-ups on missions that are currently underway and sorting through potential fires that may need our help to be put out, no one seems to have noticed anything different in us yet.
Funny how we can read each other enough to pick up subtle flags that everyone else would not even give a second thought to.
Today, however, will be a much bigger test than just a couple of days ago. Instead of spending only a couple of hours at the office, we'll be in all day. And we're meeting with Wufei and Sally for lunch.
"So there's the happy couple," I hear Chang call from behind. It's how he refers to us every once in a while on account of the great team that 'Ro and I make.
A smirk tugs the corner of my mouth. If only he knew. From the corner of my eye, I can tell even Heero is fighting a small chuckle. Looking my, I grin as Wufei and a very pregnant Sally sit across from us at our usual table in the cafeteria.
Lowering her tray, Sal smiles kindly, "Good to finally catch up with the two of you again. Congratulations on your capturing Rosmond. Hope the two of you had a chance to enjoy the Vegas scene a bit while you were out there."
I bite my tongue and Heero nearly chokes on the milk he is drinking when it almost goes down the wrong pipe. Quickly speaking up, I shrug, "Aw, you know 'ol Soldier Boy, here. All work and no play until the mission is done."
My husband smirks at me now that he's had a second to catch his breath before he outright coughed his drink up. Shaking his head, he comments, "I agreed to a night out on our last night there to make up for it."
Wufei raises an eyebrow and snorts, "Really? You trusted your life in Maxwell's hands like that?" His reflexes continue to impress me as he ducks the empty carton of milk that I chuck at him without batting an eye.
"Good for the both of you. I am glad that you at least got a little bit of fun in," Sally chuckles warmly. "It's not often you boys get stationed anywhere remotely entertaining. It's going to be some time before we'll be able to enjoy a chance to get away from it all." Slowly, without even looking over at her fiancé, she leans closer towards him as though she is not even thinking about it.
For anyone who would make the assumption that Wufei is cold and unaffectionate, they have never seen him with Sal.
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, 'Fei kisses her temple and smiles. In a voice low enough that only the three of us can pick up, he tells her, "We'll see the world and all of space soon enough, when I retire from field work in four months. Only then, we'll get to enjoy all of those things with our little one, too. I'll take you wherever the two of you want to go."
Her eyes misting over, Sally bites her lip and meets his eyes with so much love and appreciation that it takes my breath away for a moment. Leaning in, she kisses Chang's lips with a whispered, "I know you will, love. Thank you."
Their hands joined, they rest over her swollen belly as they just grin at each other like the rest of the world no longer existed.
It's actually a difficult scene for me to watch as I politely lower my head to give them some sense of privacy. Happy as I am for the two of them... I'm jealous as well.
Who knows if I'll ever be able to experience that kind of closeness with Heero. What if our marriage only remains what it is right now... a convenience.
Swallowing roughly, I do my best to enjoy what is left of my lunch but I can't take more than a few bites. Our farewells exchanged, we part ways to finish the day.
Nothing like a pile of paperwork to bury those damn thoughts.
TBC...
[1] T-Shirt recently did a free-style commission pic for me that I have incorporated here: http://usera.imagecave.com/t-shirt/1x2eveninghomeworkj.jpg
*hugs T-Shirt* You're one talented gal!!!!
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