Note: This borrows text from two previous fics I wrote because I'm a lazy bum.

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Relena had just gotten out of the shower when the car's headlights caught her attention. Momentarily surprised, she walked over to her window and looked outside. It was a warm early-summer night outside, but she could see Pagan as he stepped out of the car, was dressed in a dark suit, like he always was. She knew he'd gone out to fetch someone from the airport, but coyly declined to answer her inquiries. She didn't get so much as an alert when he finally stepped out of the mansion, passing her by in her study while she read Murder on the Orient Express.

Then, when she remembered where he was going, she immediately picked up her phone and told Pagan that she had a simple proposition for the person he was obviously going to pick up.

Watching him step to the side of the car, she saw him opening the rear driver-side door, and she didn't have to guess who it was. His brown hair, which she hadn't seen in a while, familiar enough to make her smile upon sight. So that's where you went, she thought as though she had a telepathic connection with her butler. Stepping to the side, she picked up her cell phone and texted to Pagan, "Keep him downstairs until I call for him."

She hadn't seen Heero Yuy in two months. She suspected he'd been on a mission for this time, but she'd neglected to find out, for fear of possibly blowing his cover. But he was here now, and she knew what she wanted tonight. Having already decided in that split second the moment she recognized his hair. She obviously didn't know what he wanted, other than seeing her, or else he wouldn't have Pagan take him back to her mansion. But first, she needed to be ready for him, so she got her mind out of the gutter so she could get dressed. "Heero…"

Heero himself was surprised to meet Pagan at the airport. Yes, he had told Pagan that he was coming back to Sanc after two months, and he wanted Relena's help in debriefing his mission. But seeing the elderly butler walk up to him and all but grab his zipper hoodie without urgency caught him off guard. For a short time. Unquestioningly accepting the trustworthy butler's offer to take him to see Relena, if only to greet her, he was in the car and going to Relena's mansion in less than 10 minutes.

He did ask himself why he agreed to visit Relena first when his own apartment hadn't been occupied in those two months. But his apartment was spartanly furnished at best, and one night at most was no reason to be concerned.

The only thing to be concerned about was what might happen once Relena and he were reunited. An idea did flash in his mind and he didn't like it. No matter how many times Duo teased him about this nonsense, "hooking up" with Relena Darlian was the last thing on his mind. In the 3 years since the Mariemaia incident, Heero had been so busy with helping to keep the peace that romance was the furthest thing from his mind. And he'd kept it that way for those 2 years. He wasn't about to change that right now. But he couldn't deny he and Relena had some kind of bond. He admired and respected her, and thinking about her gave him strength. Too bad he never bothered to ask Dr. J about it.

He sighed upon realizing that's probably what Pagan was meaning to do.

"Miss Relena will be pleased to see you," the old man's words broke the silence.

"I'm sure she will," he said. "Have you told her—"

"In fact, I have not told her where I am going," Pagan interrupted him. "I wanted it to be a little surprise."

"Are you sure—"

"I made sure she saw me depart," Pagan interrupted again. "You have no need to worry. We will be at the mansion soon. She will have a simple proposition for you, I am sure if it."

Relena, he thought.

Pagan's assurances turned out to be correct in a sense, and they arrived at Relena's mansion a short time later. Letting him out, Pagan watched Heero walk inside with his bag over his shoulder, the only piece of luggage he had on him. He let Heero show himself in, but kept him downstairs. Knowing how late it was, the only correct assumption was that Relena was simply not ready to receive him as Pagan led him into the parlor. That didn't stop him from glancing at Pagan inspecting his cell phone.

"She will be with you shortly," he said, which Heero already knew. "She will notify me when she wants you to come to her bedroom. In the meantime, please wait in the parlor. I will have some refreshments for you. Tea or coffee?"

"Coffee, black, no sugar," said Heero.

"Of course," Pagan said with a bow before turning to depart.

Heero had last been in Relena's parlor 3 months ago, but he wasn't alone; Sally Po, Duo and Wufei were all there with him discussing Relena's security apparatus for a talk she was to give in Sanc's old Parliament building about the Mars terraformation project. So he wasn't surprised to see that little had changed. He sat on an old, pre-After Colony couch with plain white cushions facing a couch with the exact same decorations. A coffee table sat in the middle of the arrangement. A grandfather clock sat in the corner, ticking the seconds away.

Paintings and photographs hung on the walls. He recognized Queen Peacecraft holding a very young Relena. They both looked happy. It hung next to a portrait of the King and Queen in a half-embrace, looking very subtly happy to be together. Again, those intrusive thoughts tried to sneak in, and he shoved them out of his mind. He didn't want to do… that.

But it would be nice, wouldn't it?

Relena was thinking along the same lines upstairs as she brushed her hair, now wearing an elegant pink nightgown. "No, Father, I don't need him," she told Vice Minister Darlian's photo sitting next to her mirror. "But I think we would make a good couple. Yes, I will respect his decision if he is not interested."

Neither of them "needed" each other. They could both live without the other. And yet, maybe they both subconsciously desired their relationship to be something much more than friendship or whatever you might have called it before. Heero just needed a little more convincing, but she was going to wait and see how he reacted to her offer.

Heero was obviously unaware of this downstairs. The coffee had already arrived and he'd started drinking it. Dressed in a dark zip-up hoodie and blue jeans, he contrasted to the parlor aside from the color. Even the rest of the staff, or whatever was left of it currently in the house at this time of night, could see this. A quick glare at a gossipy maid ended it.

Finally. Pagan walked up to him, bowed and announced, "Relena is ready to see you now. If you do not mind, I can take your jacket." Heero gave him the hoodie without a second's thought, quickly walking past him to go to Relena's bedroom.

He remembered where the bedroom was, and finding it was easy. Now the unexpected hard part came. To his surprise, he froze outside her bedroom door before collecting himself and knocking on it.

"Who is it?" she called from the other end.

"It's Heero," he said.

"Come in." So he opened the door to find her standing in the middle of the bedroom floor, wearing her nightgown and smiling to him.

"Hello, Heero," she said.

He stood in her doorway, apprehensive about what he was going to do next. He looked back at her, seeing her inquisitive stare–which, as it did when they were younger, always bore through him like his old Gundam's beam sword.

"Where have you been?" she asked, rather surprised to see him standing in her doorway. She was trying to sound upset, but instead came across as a coy, gentle scolding.

"On a mission," he replied. "I had to go undercover these last 2 months."

"I see," she said, knowing her suspicions had been confirmed. Two months is not the longest time to go undercover; her brother had gone undercover for most of his life as Zechs Merquise, so two months obviously sounded like a blip, not a sufficient timeframe to be undercover. She didn't move, although she wanted to hug him to ease his mind. But she feared that he'd have the mindset of a nervous cat if she so much as twitched in her direction, so she made herself stay in her spot in the middle of her bedroom. But even though he hadn't said anything yet, he wanted to reassure her fears. "What happened?" she finally asked.

"He found us out," Heero replied. "Someone tipped him off."

"Damn," she whispered. "Did you still catch him?"

"He almost escaped," he said. "But we caught him. We will notify the press tomorrow."

"That's a relief," she said. With that out of the way, "I assume Pagan already told you, but there is a reason I wanted you to come see me. I have a simple proposition for you."

"What kind of proposition?" he asked.

"I wanted to make our relationship more than friends," she said. "I want you to be beside me, and I by yours."

Heero's eyes subtly widened, visibly shocked, even though he shouldn't be. He stayed put while she extended her hand to him, smiling all the while. "Well, Heero?" she asked softly without moving. "Do you want to be with me?"

"I don't want to," he answered.

"I know you're scared, Heero," she said. He could hear her breathing. "And I don't blame you."

"Do you really?" he asked. It goes without saying that Heero had a hard time trusting people. Being turned into the Perfect Soldier can do that to a person.

"No, I don't," she replied honestly. "To be honest… I am, too."

He turned around. Now he could see that although her stare was still piercing, there was fear in those eyes.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't," she replied.

"Are you sure you're afraid?" he clarified.

"Yes," she replied with a wavering voice. She was human. Two years of portraying herself as some sort of angel for peace were all a lie. Of course, he knew this all along. "And so are you, Heero. You don't have to lie to me."

"I'm not afraid," he said.

"Liar." As if to try and prove it, she strode closer to him and grabbed his hand. "You're shaking."

He was instantly drawn to her, and when she opened her arms for him, he strode over to her and took her in that passionate embrace without hesitating. She was soft. Heero made that observation as he tightly held her in his arms in the most passionate embrace in his young life. Everything about her was soft; her hair, skin, lips, the nightgown, her demeanor, and her smile.

"Yes," he replied after a long while.

"I want you to know that want you to be happy," she said. "But…" he froze. Did he do something wrong? She held onto him tighter. Then, to ease his mind, she gently kissed him.

"That was unnecessary," he told her. His voice subtly shook. Her eyes opened and she glanced at him, but his message was loud and clear.

"Of course," she replied. "I apologize. But I wanted to help you."

"Thank you, then," said Heero.

They stayed in their embrace, so Heero could cherish her comforting softness. Relena knew about this, he told her often, but she also relished his firm touch. She loved him. And he loved her. It wasn't a grand, romantic realization that the movies still depicted to this day, but a quiet acknowledgment she'd come to with maturity. She also knew that he loved her, because he was a show, not tell, person. The way he embraced her tightly right now, after coming to her, was the best indication of that.

He smiled. Not a half-barely-attempted smile, but a genuine smile of happiness, and it was contagious. "I want you to be happy, Heero. Will you love me?"

The most important piece of advice in his life came to his mind. And acting on his emotions, he pulled her closer and kissed her passionately and lovingly. She sighed contently and kissed him back. She already had her answer.

it difficult to tell what he was thinking to someone who didn't know him. Relena knew otherwise. The subtle hints of a struggle in his eyes and lips told her everything she needed to know. Was he still afraid? Perhaps. But he was also visibly conflicted. He looked away from her. Now she knew. "I know what you're thinking," she said. "Go ahead and say it."

"I'm a monster," he admitted. "I don't deserve any love."

"Heero," she said firmly and gently, holding his head so that he could look at her. "You're not evil. You're not a monster. You are not a robot. You are not just a 'perfect soldier'. You are an amazing person. You are kind. You are worthy of having friends and you deserve friends who care about you. You are worthy of love. And you are loved. I love you." It wasn't an anguished declaration, but it was delivered conversationally. And maybe that was what told him that everything was alright.

He was the one who initiated the kiss this time. The only apprehension was how he gently kissed her. He was still nervous. She kissed back, not hungrily, but confidently. And even then, she was still nervous. So he held her tighter. A small smile against his lips told him she appreciated it. It wasn't their first kiss. But this one felt like the start of something instead of an impulsive good-bye. His next move was down with some more apprehension. With his left arm still around her waist, he lifted his right hand and slipped part of her nightgown off her shoulder.

She stopped and stared into his eyes. There wasn't apprehension this time, but subtle desire. So she gently pushed his jacket off, and helped him removed his shirt. Not breaking their hold on each other, they moved to the bed—Relena's soft, comforting, welcoming bed—and proceeded to remove each other's remaining clothes. She smiled when her last piece of clothing was removed. He'd undoubtedly accepted her proposition.

Love-making was an experience unlike any other for Heero. Sadly, his inexperience was obvious, but so was Relena's. However, Relena was happy that he'd taken her to bed, and although she was not selfish, she couldn't imagine her first time being with anyone other than Heero. But she stopped to see if he wanted to. But Heero didn't want to stop. Relena's soft skin–everything about her was soft–and her scent were intoxicating to him. She asked him if he wanted to stop, but her answered by kissing her deeply, a gesture she eagerly returned.

In the end, they found each other's little quirks and the resulting experience was, in Relena's words, "heavenly". The skin-on-skin experience ended after what felt like an eternity.

They weren't too tired to fall asleep, but they were too tired to get out of bed (though it was already past midnight), so they lay in Relena's unsurprisingly-soft bed, quietly enjoying each other's company while Relena entwined her fingers with his.

"I apologize if it wasn't good," she said. "It was my first time."

Same here," he replied. He was being honest. "I never had time for sex or love. I was too busy."

"I see," she said, turning onto her side and exposing her bare shoulder, reached out and stroked his cheek. He allowed himself to take her hand and kiss her palm. "And no one else?"

"No one," he said. "Are you sure you want to do this with me?"

"Absolutely," she replied. "I can't imagine doing it with anyone else."

"Really?"

"We can make this work," she said. "And your honesty with me helps."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"You were honest with me," she repeated. "And I want you to know that I'll always be honest with you. This really WAS my first time. And I'm glad it was with you."

"… Thank you," he answered. She smiled and kissed him.

Heero ended it and let his lips lingered on hers for a moment, letting her savor it. He held her soft body against his, feeling her nude form on his while kissing her neck.

Knowing he was happy with her was enough for Relena. They'd been through so much both individually and together, that a relationship, while not the end-all-be-all, was enough to give them happiness, as they both went for another round of love-making.

The household staff didn't bother to interrupt them the next morning, opting to let them sleep in.