Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Scavenger Hunt ❯ Bickering Brings Us Closer ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. This fan fiction has no commercial value, and I am not making any kind of profit or income off of this story or the use of characters owned by Sunrise and Bandai.

 

 

Bickering Brings Us Closer

 

Day 1—Morning

Heero walked through the suite, double-checking to make sure they did not forget anything. Time was of the essence in a challenge such as this, and he did not want to waste any of it by having to return. Relena was quickly doing last minute work on her laptop, but she assured him she had packed everything before they had eaten. A few scraps of breakfast remained; he picked the crust of a former piece of toast and munched on it while he finished his preemptive search of lost items. He looked under beds, in drawers, and behind dressers. He tried to search in any feasible place where their belongings could be, even if he knew they did not put anything in the drawers and such. Under her pillow, Heero found a red, lacy bra—one that was foreign to him. Were the maids (or other staff members) doing inappropriate things in the room? He held the bra out, dangling on his finger by a strap to show Relena.

 

“Look what I found under your pillow.” He frowned as he saw what she was really doing on the computer. “You're not doing work; you could've helped me.”

 

“I couldn't do it nearly as efficiently or as thoroughly as you,” she said absentmindedly then added, “Since I have the scavenger hunt on vacation, this is work. I'm sending a message to Noin. She'll send me a picture from Mars.” She looked up and glanced at the bra. “So that's where that one went.” She snatched it and tossed it into her still open suitcase.

 

“I've never seen it before.”

 

“I don't recall giving you an inventory of my attire, nor do I remember a time when I modeled each article of clothing.”

 

“Do you know where I found it?”

 

“I believe you said on my bed.”

 

“Under your pillow,” he clarified.

 

“Okay, so you found it under my pillow.” She stood and stuffed the bra into her suitcase.

 

When she did not give any explanation, he asked, “Well, how did it get there?”

 

“I don't believe that's your business.”

 

“If you're seeing someone, I need to know.”

 

“Are we jealous?”

 

“For security purposes,” he said with a cough.

 

She rolled her eyes. “I don't believe you only want to know `for security purposes.'”

 

“You're my responsibility. I take my job very seriously.”

 

“I believe somewhere it says you're not supposed to sleep with who you're guarding.”

 

“I can't have a relationship with you.”

 

“Then you shouldn't mind if I see other people,” she pointed out.

 

“You shouldn't see any man. It's too dangerous and takes away from work.”

 

She rolled her eyes once more and tossed a pillow at him. “Come on, let's go.”

 

***

 

“Going to pick your lover?” questioned Heero, whispering into her ear as they watched the senators on the floor, deciding which one would be lucky.

 

“Shut up!” she hissed.

 

“You shouldn't see anyone without my clearance.”

 

“I'm a big girl, and you're not my father!”

 

“No, I'm just your bodyguard, paid and expected to protect you.”

 

“Oh? Am I just a job to you now, Heero Yuy? What about the flight over here? Did that not happen? What about last night? You can't just flick a switch where I'm just your employer one moment and your lover the next. I won't play this limbo game for long.”

 

He gave her a severe look but said nothing else. They observed the male senators, silently picking a few possible candidates, indicating them with a nod of the head or a flick of the wrist. Finally, the session ended; Relena dashed onto the floor before Heero could even call out to her, and she vanished in the crowd just as quickly. He growled to himself and went after her. She was very good at evading him when she wanted to do so. He looked through the crowd and could not find her.

 

“Heero! Come on!” Relena said eventually, grabbing his arm from somewhere in the crowd and pulling him off to the side.

 

“You just ran away!” he accused her.

 

“I'm sorry,” she said automatically. “I think I've found someone.” He looked over and saw a very nervous senator. He appeared to be fresh out of his district. Heero could he was a junior one without even thinking; Relena probably had a list of the junior senators memorized.

 

“Think you could have picked one any greener?” he asked.

 

“What's going on?” the man asked apprehensively.

 

“He's a junior senator. That's all that's required,” she defended.

 

“I suppose just anyone will do for you,” he muttered. She slapped his arm. When he looked at her, he saw a grin on her face and became puzzled.

 

“You really shouldn't try jealousy. It doesn't look good on you.”

 

He looked to the senator who looked just as confused. However, Heero also decided not to question this too much. Relena was being awfully moody, and he did not want her next mood to be against him.

 

“How do you want to do this?”

 

“There aren't many different ways to do it,” she said. “Let's just do it.”

 

“You want to do it in front of so many witnesses?”

 

She shrugged. “It'll support the validity.”

 

“What's going on?” questioned the senator.

 

“We just need you for one little thing,” she assured.

 

“I'll be watching you. I saw you earlier.”

 

“I still don't understand,” the senator said. He saw Heero reach into his jacket. “I didn't hurt her! I swear!”

 

“This won't hurt a bit,” Heero assured.

 

“Just make it quick,” the congressman requested.

 

“Oh it will be.” The senator closed his eyes tightly, missing the camera pulled out. Relena leaned in and kissed him. Off went a million flashes.

 

******************

 

Day 1—Afternoon

“Who did you piss off in another lifetime that made that customs agent feel the need to strip search us?” Dorothy griped as she and Quatre walked out the spaceport.

 

“I doubt it's my fault,” Quatre replied putting on his jacket. “Everyone knows Dorothy Catalonia as Duke Dermail's granddaughter, Treize Khushrenada's cousin, and notorious Romefeller member. I'd say it's a safe bet the colonies hate you.”

 

“You're so comforting.”

 

“I thought you were only comfortable with brutal honesty.”

 

“Let's just get this over with. I didn't want you as a partner anyway.”

 

“You picked me!”

 

“Only because Relena had Heero!”

“You could have picked someone else—or just have gone alone.”

 

“Yeah, well, shut up!”

 

“You're so witty.”

 

They continued down the sidewalk. Looking at each store remotely looking like a café, they quickly realized they were looking at a string of chain cafés. Big business had bought out most if not all of the locally owned cafés.

 

“How are we supposed to find a small, private one?” Dorothy sighed.

 

“There has to be one here,” reasoned Quatre. “Come on. Let's get out of the main touristy area. Surely there's at least one where the locals go. We'll find one.” They walked down random streets, hoping to find where the locals shopped and ate. They finally escaped the crowds and wandered into empty avenues. Without tourists, the streets were clean and quiet. It seemed very much the pleasant small town, and one would never know it was crowded, dirty, and loud just a few streets over.

 

“See one where you want to go?” Quatre asked.

 

“Mm,” she looked around the square. “Let's try Powdered Stars.” Dorothy gestured to the baby blue building with white stars decorating its signs.

 

He nodded, and they entered the small café. It looked fairly busy for the time and day. They found an empty table for two and took it. Laminated menus were at each table, so they grabbed them, looking over it. It was a quaint place. Teas of many kinds were available as well as coffees. Different kinds of sweets were on the menu such as cookies, muffins, and hard candies. Dorothy mused it was probably made and run by a mother and her restless daughter.

 

“I really feel more like having iced coffee, but tea is on the list,” she said.

 

“That's right.” He smiled at her. He was going to enjoy these two weeks. He idly wondered how many more times they could get strip searched before Dorothy became suspicious.

 

“I'm just going to have some jasmine tea and a strawberry muffin,” she decided.

 

“Hey! They have mini-muffins!” he exclaimed.

 

“We sure do,” assured the waitress as she came up to the table. “Would you like some?”

 

“Maybe later,” he said. “Where did you come up with the name for the café? Powdered Stars is quite unique.”

 

The young waitress opened her mouth, but an older woman appeared behind the counter and answered first. “Oh, it's from my daughter, Etta.” She smiled warmly at the waitress. “When she was a young girl, she'd help me make the pastries for different functions. We made some for a fundraiser at her school, and we had to make the pastries at the school, which had a black countertop. The powdered sugar got onto it, and she said it looked like the stars in the sky. When we looked at the observation deck afterward, she asked me if God sprinkled powdered sugar throughout the Universe to make the stars.” The woman smiled at the young waitress yet again, and the younger woman groaned and rolled her head with her eyes.

 

“It's a cute story, very wonderful,” Quatre praised.

 

“Not when you hear it for half your life,” the waitress muttered to Quatre and Dorothy where only they could hear. She flashed them a smile and took down their orders before dashing back behind the counter.

 

Dorothy looked over at the small television giving news to the patrons. She pointed out the screen to Quatre as the reporter aired footage of the Vice Foreign Minster spontaneously kissing the junior senator from IaÅŸi. The couple shared a big smirk as the waitress returned with their orders, and Quatre ordered mini-muffins to-go.

 

“It would appear Miss Relena is already ahead of you,” he teased.

 

“Not for long,” she assured. “Let's take a picture right now. Take out your camera.”

 

“My camera?”

 

“Yes, your camera. The thing to a picture with to prove we got here.”

 

“I thought you were bringing it. This is your contest after all. I'm just here to make sure you don't cheat.”

 

Dorothy shot him a severe look. “Neither of us have a camera? Well, we'll just have to get one.” She scanned the café, ignoring his questions. She spotted a trio with a camera. She leaned over and tapped the man's shoulder. He turned, and his eyes widened slightly at the recognition. “Hello, sir. Do you know who we are?” He nodded. “Well, we require your camera. We're prepared to pay you five hundred credits for it. Please hand it over.” The dumbfounded man automatically relinquished the possession. She flashed him a smile then turned to her companion.

 

“What model is that?” Quatre inquired. Upon hearing it, he replied, “Dorothy, pay him a thousand. Five hundred won't cover it.”

 

“Why are you telling me? You're the one paying him.”

 

“What? Me?”

 

“You're the one who should have brought a camera, so it's your fault we don't have one. Besides, I don't carry any form of money.”

 

Quatre almost retorted but stopped himself. This was his vacation, and while he hated paying up, he was not going to get into a fight over it. He could get her back later. He paid the man and handed him a sheet of paper and a pen to get his information. He took a picture of Dorothy when the mini-muffins arrived. Having finished and paid for their food (well Quatre paid leaving a good tip), they stood and headed to the door. As they left the small café, the now camera-less trio thought they heard the couple say:

 

“You're going to pay me back.”

 

“When we get back on Earth, I'll pay you for everything.”

 

“You're going to pay when we get to our hotel…one way or another.”

 

“For the last time, I'm not your personal hooker!”