The image on the vidphone flickers to life as the connection is made. "Brother!" I can't believe I just squealed at him. Of all the people I expected to be calling me on this line, today, he is... not even on the list.
"Happy New Year," he is saying with the sweetest smile I've ever seen on his face. "I do apologise for not getting in touch sooner." There is barely a touch of the despair I'd become so familiar with. How did he manage to get all the good-looking genes in our family?
I stare at this complete stranger on the screen. "I... I've missed you." It surprises me to realise that I have indeed missed my drunken brother. He looks well, no longer painfully thin, relaxed, and... sober. He's wearing that strip of leather around his neck and I wonder at its significance. I try not to assume the obvious; at least I hope it's not what I thought of when I first saw it in the surveillance photographs. "Is Duo treating you well?" What have I done, allowing Quatre to hand him into that incorrigible ex-pilot's care? "Is everything alright?" I'm hoping it's just a fashion statement; it does accentuate his neck.
"Everything's fine," he's saying in that tone he uses when he doesn't want me to fuss. Perhaps he's not such a stranger after all. "Duo's been incredibly patient and I'm..." You're what? "...sober." He's blushing... he was about to say something else. What did he censor in that pause? I will not frown... I don't think I'm managing the impassive look I've been practising for those symposiums.
"You are?" I manage to squeak when it becomes imperative that I speak. I follow up with, "That's wonderful news." Where am I getting these stock phrases? Leaning back in my seat, I sigh. He isn't a diplomat I'm making small talk with. It shouldn't be this hard, talking to my brother. It wasn't when I knew he wouldn't remember what I said from one day to the next. I could tell him anything back then.
He shifts slightly and says, "We were watching a documentary on significant events of the past year, last night." He has the palest blue eyes... it's so rare that he will meet my gaze. "The wedding featured rather prominently and I wanted to mention that you were a beautiful bride." Oh... "I don't believe I told you so, on the day." I think he might mean that.
I can feel the blood from my pounding heart rushing up to my face. "Thank you." My voice sounds breathless and my smile won't go away. It's most unseemly for a queen to be grinning like an idiot. "When are you coming home?" I ask, wanting to meet this man, my long lost brother, who isn't a war-mongering soldier, delusional-earth-destroying rebel or an inebriated prince.
From the look on his face and his hesitation, I can tell that it won't be soon. "Duo and I haven't finished our..." There's that censoring pause, again. Your affair? "...tour, yet." I refrain from a most unladylike snort. Tour, indeed. I know what he does with the men who share his bed and I don't doubt that they are sharing. They always book into hotel rooms with double beds. I was resigned to Quatre keeping him company; it was part of our prenuptial agreement. But my old rival... that wasn't part of the deal.
I dare not speak my mind as I swallow the lump in my throat. "Oh..." is all I can say. He wants to stay with that scoundrel. What is it about Duo that so fascinates the significant men in my life? At least he's just friends with Quatre... he'd better be 'just friends' with my husband.
His countenance is full of questions. Has he always been this easy to read? "How are things in Cinq?"
Cinq... he wants to know about... No, he doesn't. "The rebuilding is almost complete," I begin. Cinq I can talk about at length, until he asks what he really wants to know. "Quatre convinced me to allow the Preventers to establish a training academy here, as well as a small branch office as part of the package."
He looks surprised. "Can you stand to have Une in your backyard?" I'm sure he's thinking that Father would never have allowed such an agency within our borders.
"She won't be," I assure him. "Sally Poh will be in charge of the Preventer branch and Lucy Noin, headmistress of the Academy. They returned from Mars last month with the most adorable baby..." Oops. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that... might as well go the rest of the way now. "Noin asked about you..." I can't go on, so I chew my lower lip instead.
Scowling, he barks at me. "What did you tell her?"
"Nothing, of course," I snap back. How dare he infer that I would divulge his whereabouts without his express permission when he's supposed to be in hiding? Contrary to Duo's probable opinion, I'm not a scatterbrained gossip. "But I do have her contact details should you wish to get in touch. Apparently, they're a couple." That should give him something to think about.
"A couple?" Oh, such pleasant confusion. He can't seriously be that dense. "Who's a couple?"
"Lucy and Sally." I roll my eyes at him and he chuckles in response. "Did you honestly think that she'd wait for you forever?" He's just a man. I need to keep reminding myself of that. "She wanted to show off her new baby, tell you about the new love of her life and see if you were feeling any better than when you left Mars. You never did reply to any of her correspondences. She said to tell you that she misses her best friend from the Academy and would love to get reacquainted with you. Do you have a pen and paper handy?"
"No." I can almost see the wheels turning behind his carefully constructed non-expression. I wish he were here. I want him to come home. "Have Quatre email the details to Duo. They won't get lost that way. I have been remiss as her friend; please give her my apologies. I will be in touch, not immediately but eventually. She'll understand if you tell her that."
He expects her to understand. I wouldn't but I suppose she will. How does he engender such utter devotion in his friends? "I'll pass the message. You do take her for granted, you know."
He smiles at that... "I know. I don't deserve a friend like her. I've never deserved any of my friendships but I've always been grateful for them. Thank you." The righteous anger I've had building on her behalf diffuses and I return his smile.
"The baby is almost six months old and she has a library of photo albums to show you. Don't put it off too long or it'll take you weeks to get through them. Whenever I get the urge to practice my nappy changing skills, I go visit them."
"Practice nappy changing? Family planning already, Relena? Is there news you should be telling me?" He's teasing me! Perhaps this isn't so hard after all.
"If there is," I lean forward, bracing myself on the desk, "I'll email Duo myself to let you know." There I go, grinning like an idiot, again. "Will you ever be getting your own email address?" Returning to my seat, I try to imagine them as a couple. I'm not sure I can, but if that imp can seduce Heero...
"I doubt it." His smile is fading... "The lengths he goes through to keep his mail untraceable, I wouldn't want to bother setting up my own. Just mail him if you need to talk to me and I'll call."
I can't help myself. "Are you sure you want to give him so much control over..." you? No, I can't say that! "...your correspondence?" Now I'm doing it.
"Yes." That's all he says and I think he's answering my real question. When did he learn to read me so well?
Then I have to know. "Why?"
"It's what I've needed. What I need, today, tomorrow, maybe forever." he whispers so quietly I almost don't hear him. His gaze is so intense it reminds me of the way he looked at me when I first arrived on the Libra. He doesn't expect me to understand his reasons. He didn't think I could then; he doesn't think I can now.
He's wrong, but there's nothing I can say that will convince him otherwise. I should try. "Brother..."
"How is your husband, Relena?" he interrupts me. "Is he treating you well?" I'll allow him to change the subject for now.
"He's fine," I reply, hoping that he will be satisfied with that.
"May I have a word with him?" Why would he want to talk to Quatre?
"He's not here," I inform him. "He's celebrating the New Year with the Maganacs in their homeland."
"It's your first New Year together. Surely he should have spent it with you." He can't be upset over this. Can he?
"Only the first of many." I hadn't considered being upset about it before. "There will be others," I assure him... and myself. "He had commitments there. I have speeches to make here..." I sound so... so... lame.
He doesn't look convinced. "Are you happy with your marriage?"
Am I happy? Not deliriously, no... but... "I'm content." I tell him truthfully.
"You've only been married six months. You should still be blissfully happy," he insists.
My chuckle sounds slightly bitter to me. I hope he doesn't notice. "You and I both know that my marriage wasn't for love. Bliss isn't part of the equation, and if contentment wasn't an expected result, it is most certainly a welcome one. We get on very well." I can feel my cheeks heating up as I lower my voice. "The sex is good. He's very gentle with me and he does the most amazing things with his tongue."
The gasp is audible as his eyes widen and his ears turn a pretty shade of pink, along with the rest of his face.
"How does Duo measure up?" I whisper and watch him turn an even brighter shade of red.
"Oi!" Speak of the devil. "What we do in bed is none of your beeswax, Missus-Q." The imp drapes himself over Brother's shoulders, their fingers twining on the table. "Happy New Year to you and my best buddy, over in Cinq. I hope it'll be as good for you as it's gonna be for us." His grin widens and he winks at me. I really should close my mouth.
As my brother leans into the man behind him, it occurs to me that this rival... ex-rival of mine is the one who's managed to put that relaxed smile on his face where every effort I made had failed. I suppose I could learn to like Duo. He is, after all, my husband's best friend.
"Thank you," I say. For everything, I don't say. "Do come and visit if you're ever in the area. We'd love to spend time with you both."
"We will," they say in unison. Duo laughs at their apparently inadvertent chorus and waves as he walks away from the vidphone.
"I'll be in touch." He lifts his hand to touch his monitor. I reflect his action and touch my screen where his fingertips are. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Brother." His sweet smile is the last thing I see as the screen blanks at the end of the call.
This is a wonderful start to the New Year. Quatre will be getting home tomorrow. I'd hate to admit it but he was right about Duo. He might be right about other things, too.
I smile as I realise that tomorrow can't come soon enough and that it's fine with me.
The End