He sat in the cockpit of the RomafellAirBus 747, sipping from his plastic Starbucks mug as he waited for his tardy co-pilot to show up. After the other day's squabble with Captain Une, for which he was still on pilot lounge cleaning duty, Mirialdo had no desire whatsoever to unleash any more of her fury. Glancing outside, his eyes skimmed by another RomafellAirBus parked two gates down from his, and almost felt the discomfort of Une's icy glare. Yup, if Otto-man didn't get his butt moving, The Tigress would be on his case all over again for not taking off on time and, consequently, making her flight late as well. Sometimes sharing a runway really was the pits, the young man thought as he gulped down another sip from his mug.
"Duuuuuuuuuude!" the familiar appellation startled him out of his musings, as a very relaxed Otto made his way into the cockpit and plopped down in the co-pilot seat next to his.
"Ready to rock this joint?" the dark-haired youth smirked as he adjusted all his instrumentation. Mirialdo gave him a small glare before commenting his customary
"Better late than never." With that, he let out a small cough as he set down his mug into the convenient beverage holder at his side.
Otto picked up the communication device to make the takeoff announcement to the passengers,
"Yo, yo, brothas an' sistas… Captain Otto's in tha house," which Mirialdo promptly snatched with a most aggravated look.
"Gimme that… Sorry about that, ladies and gentlemen. This is Captain Peacecraft welcoming you aboard of flight GW 337 to Chicago…"
"Aw, dude… you're no fun," Otto protested as soon as Mirialdo's little stint was over.
"Yah, yah… whatever you say. Aw, please can we not listen to that during the whole darned trip?" the blonde retorted crankily as Otto popped in an Eminem CD and started bobbing along to the beat, all the while flicking switches with practiced ease.
"Jeez, whassup with you today, man?" the co-pilot commented. A sneeze promptly answered his question as a very miserable-looking Mirialdo proceeded to sniffle into a Kleenex and reach for his mug again. Otto watched his friend grimace as he gulped the stuff down, utterly mystified by now. He then picked up the mug himself, gave it a suspicious sniff, and exclaimed,
"Whoa there, Nellie! What's this stuff?"
"Some… herbal remedy that a friend recommended for my cold. Euthanasia tea… Eucalyptus and Echinacea… or something like that," Mirialdo grumbled from his seat, oddly enough just a tiny bit amused.
"Man, that's nasty!" Otto continued, putting the mug down as he took another whiff of the potent eucalyptus smell, "I mean, dude! This stuff could seriously knock a kangaroo unconscious…"
"Tell me about it… I gotta gulp two of those suckers down per day…" The two colleagues exchanged a most eloquent look that spoke silently of profound sympathy and male understanding.
"Well, then, I'm sure it'll work," Otto lied awkwardly, just as the plane steered into the runway and Mirialdo's nasal voice made the customary "flight attendants prepare for takeoff" announcement.
"It'd darn better," the blonde then resumed the private conversation, just as he jacked the plane's engines into full drive for takeoff, "I mean, she swears by it, so I guess it's worth a try…"
"Whoa! Hold it there," Otto suddenly yelled out, at which Mirialdo instinctively slammed on the brake device to halt the airplane. Inside the coach, passengers yelped in fear and surprise as the plane came to an abrupt stop. A couple of flight attendants could be heard swearing as their heads rammed against their rear-facing seats.
"What? What's the matter," Mirialdo prompted his co-pilot, trying to spot any object that may be obstructing the runway.
"Not the plane, baka," Otto chided as he pushed the plane's engines back into full speed for takeoff, barely suppressing an impish grin, "Your story… You said, 'she', you sly dog… You got a woman and you haven't told me yet?"
"I don't freaking believe this…" Mirialdo face-faulted, then very sheepishly picked up the communication device.
"Sorry about that, ladies and gentlemen. Everything's all right… Flight attendants prepare for takeoff… take 2."
********************************
"Heero, watch it…"
"Whoups…" the little boy muttered sleepily, just as he observed the milky, cornflakey mess that was now pooling all over the breakfast table. Lucrezia, still in her drawstring pajama bottoms and military tank top, let out a soft groan, and proceeded to wipe up the spill, while the cat avidly licked the milk that had already trickled down to the floor.
"He likes it," little Relena giggled, completely fascinated with the reddish-white tabby.
"Oh, you bet he does," Lucrezia replied, a slightly rushed tone in her usually calm voice.
"My brother doesn't allow me to have a cat," the blonde child sighed, reaching down to pat Romeow's head, "he says it's not good for my asthma. But I'm not allergic to cats, I never even sneeze around them… I just don't think he wants me to have a pet to play with…"
Lucrezia looked up, only to have her heart literally melted by two quivering pools of cerulean blue.
"It's ok, sweetie," she instinctively hugged the child, "I know you're not allergic to cats. Your brother just worries about you, because he loves you very much. Besides, I think Romeow really likes it when you come over and play…" That comment seemed to put a smile back on the little Peacecraft's face.
"You know, he slept curled up at my feet and guarded me all night," she pointed out with childish delight and a slightly mischievous grin, "my brother would have a cow…"
"Well… that'll be our little secret, then. You certainly don't sound wheezy to me, kiddo," Lucrezia affectionately brushed the child's blonde hair out of her eyes.
"You're going to finish your breakfast, right?"
The little girl pouted for a second, her spoon playing with the contents of her bowl.
"But, Miss Noin…"
"No buts, Relena. Your brother was very clear about it, remember?"
"Awww, do I have to?" the little girl protested, then, in a surprisingly confident, grownup voice, she explained, "I'm really not a breakfast person, Miss Noin…"
"Well, I suppose you don't have to if you don't want to," Heero's mother conceded matter-of-factly, then lowered her voice to a bare whisper, "But I'm not sure your brother will be quite happy with that… After all, he might say that I'm not as good a sitter as Miss Wigglesworth, and he might not let you stay over next time…"
Relena's eyes widened in sheer horror at the prospect. Gulping down hard, she stared at the bowl of milk and cornflakes.
"Oh, no… we can't have that," she mumbled to herself, cringing at the thought of the boring old spinster babysitting her and not allowing her to do anything fun.
"Come on, Re…" Heero encouraged from his seat, "You can do it."
"I'll be strong," she sighed melodramatically, and began to shovel spoonful after spoonful into her mouth.
*********************************
"Cause even when I dream of youuuuuu, the sweetest dream will never do, I'd still miss you baby, and I don't wanna miss a thiiiiing," the pilots of flight GW 337 were merrily belting it out in the cockpit of the airplane as they neared Chicago.
"I don't wanna close my eeeeeeeyes! I don't wanna faaaaaaall asleep," Mirialdo himself crooned an acute that would have given Steven Tyler run for his money. Otto smirked at the impromptu performance, and contemplated switching on the communication device so that the passengers could partake in having fun at the blonde captain's expenses.
"Guess that Euthanasia crap actually worked," he commented to his friend, who was still making dramatic stage moves and singing along, quite unaware that he was now being broadcast all over the coach.
"Guess so, Otto-man…"
A knock at the door, and then one of the less-than-impressed flight attendants peered inside.
"Have you guys gone completely insane in here?" the bespectacled steward mouthed off to the two sheepish-looking pilots, "We've got a plane full of people who would like to think that they are not being flown by two complete lunatics!"
"Sorry, Mike," Mirialdo quickly apologized, "I didn't realize we were that loud…" With that, the steward stormed back out, leaving a grinning Otto giving him the one-fingered salute.
"So, dude…" Otto began, lowering the music a touch, "Ya still up for that wicked-ass Halloween party next Friday?"
"Um… no," Mirialdo cut him short.
"No? Whaddaya mean no?! Are you kidding me? All the hottest babes are gonna be there, dude…" Otto protested, "And I got us tickets at least three months in advance 'cause otherwise they'd be all sold out by September. That's how big this thing's gonna be!"
"Well," Mirialdo cleared his throat, "that really sucks, but I can't just cancel my commitment. Especially considering I've had it for longer than you've had the tickets."
"Look, you could even bring your foxy lady along if you want," Otto insisted with a smirk of complicity, "I can still scalp some tickets, for the right price… Come on, buddy, it'll be fun! Last year, even Une-the-Mega-Stiff went. Man, lemme tell ya about her Poison Ivy costume… Hey, we can go as OZ officers, you'd make a smashing Lightning Count, with your hair…"
"Otto, I'm claustrophobic, I can't wear masks. Besides, that has nothing to do with any woman," Mirialdo resisted, a slight wave of colour mounting to his pale cheeks, "You know I don't have time for such frivolities as dating and partying…"
"Right, right… You've got a child to raise when you get off work, blah-blah, blah-blah, blah-freaking-blah," Otto mocked, purposely testing his friend's patience, "But you know what they say… All work no play makes Mirialdo a BIG GEEKY NERD!!!!"
"Yah, yah… whatever," the blonde man ignored him.
"Come on, what do you REALLY have to do on Halloween night, that you can't even come out and have some fun at the best party in town? Huh? Huh?" Otto kept pressing.
"I've got mumble… mumble…ing duty," the golden-haired pilot grumbled through his teeth.
"What? I didn't hear you."
"I SAID I'VE GOT TRICK-OR-TREATING DUTY, WHAT ARE YOU, DEAF?"
"Oh… ok… that makes sense now… pfffffWAAAAAHAAHAAAHAAAHAAAAA!!!! What are you gonna go as? Sailor Moon? HEE HEEEEEEHEEEEEEEHEEEE!!!!"
"Alright, buddy, that's it. You're going down!!!"
********************************
"But moooooom… the cape looks all weird," Heero fidgeted as his mother put the last finishing touches to his Tuxedo Mask costume.
"Well, sorry, sweetie, but that's the best I could do with only a day's notice," Lucrezia sighed as she straightened out the fake red rose on the costume's lapel.
"Grandma's much better at making Halloween costumes…" the boy grumbled.
"Yessirree Bob, she sure is… Which is why you can still wear the Bat Man costume from last year, if you want. I bet you it still fits."
"Bat Man's dumb. And I already wore it last year…"
"In Halifax. None of your friends here saw it."
"And besides Relena is going as Sailor Moon, so I HAVE to be Tuxedo Mask!" Lucrezia gave a small chuckle and adjusted the mask on the little boy's eyes.
"Puppy love… it's so cute…" with that, she stamped a kiss on the child's cheek, which he proceeded to wipe away with a resounding,
"Eeeeeeeeewwwwww! Cooties!"
Not two minutes later, just as they were ready to dart out the door, Heero's new gripe was that his mom had to be dressed up in a costume too.
"Boy, are you full of surprises tonight or what, kiddo…" she rolled her eyes, "I don't have any costumes to wear. Don't worry, I'll stand back and you guys won't even notice that your oh-so-uncool mom is even there at all…" Yet that stubborn son of hers would not hear any of it, and kept refusing to budge unless she got into some sort of costume, no matter how improvised it was.
Five minutes later…
"Alright, is this to your liking?" Lucrezia sighed, donning her usual class attire and a white lab coat.
"Who are you supposed to be?" Heero grumbled, his pout still not subsiding.
"I'm an engineering instruct… ahem… I mean… I'm a Mad Scientist! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!"
"I suppose that's better than the Martha Stewart costume…" the child sneered, glancing at a frilly cook's apron lying discarded on the armchair, "Good enough… let's go pick up Duo and the others, we're late!"
**********************************
Meanwhile, at the Peacecraft residence…
'Uh… Relena, you're absolutely positive you wanna go like this," Mirialdo inquired, a puzzled expression on his face.
"Yup."
"You're totally, 100% sure you don't want your princess costume…"
"Yup."
"Not even your angel one, with the halo and the sparkly wings…"
"Nope," the little girl shook her head quite resolutely, then giggled, "Heero's gonna flip when he sees me!" Mirialdo sweatdropped.
"If the boy-induced weirdness starts now," he thought, "the teen years will be a real treat…" With that, he adjusted the pilot's hat on his head, and proceeded to chivalrously open the door for his little sister.
"You look very handsome, Captain," she curtseyed.
"Why thank you, Miss… um…"
"Just call me 01," she instructed, all serious.
"Roger that. So… who do we pick up first?" he inquired as the little girl sauntered on ahead, swinging her candy basket in circles.
"First Dorothy, then Hilde, then Cathy and Trowa…" Relena chanted, her excitement rising by the second.
***********************************
"Thank you soooooo very much," Quaterina Winner had gushed over and over as she filled everyone's baskets with candy, "Miss Noin, you have NO idea how much better I feel, knowing that you're the one accompanying the children this year!" Lucrezia had smiled and blushed sheepishly, not knowing what to say. After all, it was a neighbourhood tradition that she, as the newcomer, had felt an obligation to volunteer for.
"Not to be a gossip or anything," Mrs.Winner continued in a low whisper, "but last year it was the Schbeckers' turn, and oh boy… they're a rowdy bunch. Let's just say I had to wash Quatre's mouth with soap after the experience." Struggling to keep a straight face, Lucrezia rallied up the trick-or-treaters, and took her leave from Mrs. Winner, who kept waving at Quatre from the doorstep.
"Who's left?" she inquired to the children, who promptly chorused,
"Trowa and Cathy!!!!"
And so it was, five minutes later, that Lucrezia, Heero, Duo, and Quatre stood at the Bartons' door, the children getting their fill of sweets, and the parents making small talk about the ensuing sugar high that would continue on for the next week or so. Catherine, dressed as a fairy (star-shaped wand and all), squealed with delight over Quatre's Dalmatian puppy costume, but Trowa kept fidgeting in his clown outfit, trying to delay everyone's departure… or so it seemed.
That is until another group of trick-or-treaters came from around the corner, seemingly walking towards the Bartons' residence.
"There they are!" Trowa cheered, at which Lucrezia could not help but notice Heero's sudden interest.
The figures kept advancing, until the darkness revealed each and every one of them. A little Princess Serenity, a Wicked Witch, and…
"Oh, dear," Lucrezia muttered, squinting to ascertain that her eyes were not deceiving her.
"Hilde, you look soooooo scary!!!!" little Duo blurted out, running towards his black-clad little pal.
"Why, thank you Duo. Hey, dig your Grim Reaper costume…"
"Wow, Dorothy, you're so pretty," Quatre gushed over the little Princess Serenity look-alike, who in turn batted her eyelashes and gave her hair a dramatic toss, before calling out,
"Hee-chan, so you're my Tuxedo Mask… how interesting." Little Heero yelped, and ran straight for his mother. It wasn't fair! Relena was supposed to go as Sailor Moon...
"Sorry Heero," a familiar voice peeped, "I forgot to tell you Dorothy beat me to it…" Heero peered from behind his mother's lab coat.
"Holy cow! Relena! You're… you're… Whoa!"
"I'm the pilot of Gundam 01! Cool, huh?" Relena pointed with pride to her green tanktop and spandex shorts.
"I'll say!" Heero exclaimed as he ran to her, not taking notice of the sudden pout on Dorothy's lips.
"Hey, Dotty, wanna trade your peanut butter cup for my raisins?"
"Shut up, Maxwell!!!!"
Meanwhile, oblivious to the noisy trick-or-treaters' reunion…
"Mirialdo?"
"Lucrezia? You're on…"
"Trick-or-treating duty. This year's my turn…" the dark-haired woman explained, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about her improvised Mad Scientist costume.
"Hold on a second… I was just on my way to come pick up Heero and the boys…" Mirialdo muttered, rubbing his head, wondering how he could have gotten so mixed up.
"And I was on my way to pick up Relena and the girls…" Lucrezia countered, her confusion increasing. "Am I losing my mind already?" she thought to herself.
"But Relena has been bugging me for weeks to remind me this year was my turn…"
"Nuh-uh… Mine. I volunteered for it last week, and even gave all the kids a letter for their parents. You didn't get it?"
"If I did, I'd be downtown, going to a party, instead of being the butt of Otto's jokes," Mirialdo smirked silently. He glanced at the kids, who were now in the middle of a cut-throat candy-trading business, with poor Quatre ending up with all the raisins, courtesy of Mrs. Winner.
"Um… I can… take it from here, if you'd like," Lucrezia offered awkwardly, as though reading his thoughts, "You probably have more fun things to do than this…"
Mirialdo's head snapped up by reflex. Dark eyes searching his face, he cringed inwardly with shame for letting her think, even for a second, that he'd rather be drinking himself sick with his airline buddies. Which happened to be the truth, but that was beside the point…
"Not at all!" he protested quite emphatically, "I should be the one taking over. I'm sure you're busy enough as it is."
"Well, isn't this so wonderful," Mrs. Barton's high pitch interrupted, "This neighbourhood is so lucky to have two committed, trustworthy parents like you teaming up to supervise our children!"
A puzzled smile made its way onto Miss Noin's lips, just as the Peacecraft pondered Mrs. Barton's words.
"I don't have any other plans," she muttered softly.
"Me neither," he added, his eyes now taking in the strangely enticing way that her long, soft bangs framed her face in the darkness.
"Team?" that simple word, coming from her lips, managed to stir a million repressed memories from a past that he had tried to forget, but could not bring himself to. For one second, he could have sworn she had called him by his long-retired code name…
"Team," he repeated, snapping out of his reminiscing and turning to gather up the kids with her.
"Alright, troops, listen up," Lucrezia was already rallying up the trick-or-treaters in a tidy row, two by two.
"Who wants treats?" she cheered on.
"We do!!!"
"What? I can't hear you… you said candy is yucky?"
"Noooooo!"
"Then let's hear it, soldiers!"
"Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaa!!!! Trick or treat! Trick or treat! Give us something good to eat!!! Trick or treat! Trick or treat! Give us something good to eat!!!"
Mirialdo stared in utter bemusement at the scene, wondering how on earth this woman could move him from memories of war to utter cheerfulness in three seconds flat.
"Methinks we're ready to rumble," she commented to him with a small wink, just before her right hand closed around his, her left one dragged along by little Quatre Winner.
*********************************
By the time the tour of the neighbourhood was completed, and each child's basket was brimming with all sorts of sweets, the energy level was considerably lower. Out of voice from all the singing and yelling, the children marched along in quiet contentment, each yawning from time to time as they glanced with pride at their loot.
"The trick is in wearing them out real well, so they're just about ready to pass out," the woman in the lab coat explained with a small mischievous smile to the only other adult in the group. The man in the pilot uniform gave a small chuckle,
"Guess they won't be arguing much to stay up all night eating candy…"
"Precisely. By the time you have them ready for bed, they're out like a light. Never fails with Heero…"
The group was considerably getting smaller as each offspring was returned to their parents and, soon enough, there was but Heero and Relena left, still holding hands as they walked ahead of their caregivers. Oddly enough, the two adults themselves were walking along, their fingers still casually entwined as they made small talk about how to ration all that candy out for the next month. Neither of them bold enough to make eye contact, they were a sight to behold, each silently contemplating how becoming the other's uniform really was. Lucrezia had certainly seen Mirialdo in his full pilot uniform before, as she counted in her head all the times that he had picked Relena up from school straight from work. But never had the sight of him stirred the butterflies in her stomach with quite the same intensity as that very night, his ivory complexion and silken hair glowing against the navy blue fabric in much the same way that the moon did in the night sky.
"It must be that I wasn't expecting this turn of events, " Mirialdo pondered silently for his part over how, for some obscure reason, he could not help feeling like a hormone-crazed teenager from the very moment that he laid eyes on Lucrezia Noin that night. He couldn't decide whether it was the outfit, slightly reminiscent of that NeoEva show he sometimes watched after Relena's bedtime, for he surely had seen her in a skirt before.
"Come to think of it, it must be it… a Maya Ibuki look-alike wearing a Ritsuko Akagi outfit is enough to put pictures in a guy's head…" But the fact remained that never before had his heart rate been so affected by a mere lab coat and a pair of endlessly long legs.
Upon reaching the door to the Noin-Yui residence, the children swiftly slid themselves inside, the better to give their parents time to say goodbye as they made their last trades for the night.
"Um… Lucrezia, I was wondering," Mirialdo was the first to speak after a long moment of silence lingering in the doorway, "Pargan gets back from his holiday next week, so I was thinking we could… If you're not busy… he could watch the kids and we could… um… go out maybe?" Had he lifted his eyes enough to meet hers, he would have seen his own words set them aglow. Instead, his furtive glance fell on her lips, slightly parted as though the breath had been effectively cut off, and he cursed himself for his most inappropriate boldness.
"Oh… gosh, well… um, I was actually…" she fumbled for what seemed like a torturously long time for both, before the surprise took the shape of a smile and a wild blush.
"Mirialdo, do you and Relena like hockey?" she then asked in a curiously detached tone that puzzled the heck out of him.
"Uh… I never followed it much, and I'm not exactly up to speed on all the rules, but I do occasionally enjoy a good game… Why do you ask?" he inquired, certain by then that Lucrezia was just very politely trying to change the subject from his pitiful attempt at getting a date with her.
"Well," she blushed some more and looked away into the darkened street, "A couple of students gave me tickets for the Canucks' game next Saturday… except they gave me four, all consecutive seats… and there's only Heero and me… So I was wondering if you and Relena would be interested, maybe, in going…"
Figuring that the proposition was innocent enough to not sound like a 'real date' she resolved to make eye contact with him.
"If you're not busy, that is…" The crystalline blue assaulted every figment of confidence that still remained, her own voice coming out almost like a stifled gasp.
"I'd love to," the reply came just as hesitant, the pale Peacecraft's lips mimicking the early stages of a smile, his eyes still large as saucers from the unexpected twist of events. Gulping down hard as though to swallow a whole apple, he braced himself and countered, "But only if you let me treat you guys to dinner first."
"Sure… that would be lovely." A bout of nervous laughter escaped both their lips as the realization hit them that, throughout the entire conversation, and the entire trick-or-treating raid, they yet had to let go of each other's hand.
"Well… guess we'd better get going," Mirialdo resolved, loosening his grip at once, a silly smile still plastered on his face, before calling out to his little sister.
"Coming," the little girl hollered, half-asleep, "so… for the last time, can I please pretty please with a cherry on top trade my Whoopee Bar for your Juji-Bears?"
"Aw, alright, " Heero feigned giving up the battle, secretly cheering since he had just gotten his favourite candy in exchange for something he didn't even like. Both children cast a quick glance towards the door.
"Heero… are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Mission accomplished," the little boy whispered low, in an almost solemn way.
"Yeah! You know, I've been thinking… We're getting pretty good at this! Maybe we should start our own business, setting people up…I bet Mr. Chang and Principal Po could use our help… Whadyathink?"
"Relena… come on, sis, let's go!"
"Aw, alright, alright, coming…"
******************************
Meanwhile, inside a smoke-filled, jam-packed club downtown, a young engineering student dressed as an OZ officer was talking to another similarly dressed brown-haired man, both quite intoxicated.
"Dude, thanks for getting me those two hockey tickets, man," the youngster named Alex slurred, " and right next to my seat, too! I gave them to my instructor. You saved my life, dude!"
"Don't mention it, buddy," the older man grinned, "it was short-notice, but with the right connections and for the right price, anything is possible…" He then proceeded to stumble his way through the crowd until he reached the other bar counter, where another young engineering student in an OZ costume was lining up for drinks.
"Duuuuuuude!" he called out as he gave the youngster a friendly pat in the back.
"Duuuuuuude!!! Thanks for finding me those two Canucks tickets, buddy! And right next to my seat, too! My instructor loves hockey," the other nineteen-year-old that went by the last name of Mueller yelled over the loud music, "that'll totally impress her that I thought of her kid, too!"
The supposed scalper rolled his eyes and let out a hearty laugh,
"Damn, must be a real tough course for going through all this trouble," he commented as he drained the rest of his beer.
"Aw, no way, Otto-man," Mueller yelled out, "This ain't no bribe. I'm gonna ace that class. But Noin-sensei is such a HOTTIE!!!!"
