Relena.

She sighed and snuggled closer into her pillow, her body unwilling to stir from the languid slumber she was enjoying. It's so warm...

Relena...

The deep baritone voice resounding in her head grew more commanding. Not to mention louder.

"Relena. Time to wake up."

A shoulder shake accompanied the last statement. Relena just groaned. "Just a few more minutes…" She squeezed her pillow tighter.

Or what she thought was her pillow.

Her eyelids slowly fluttered open to reveal her immediate surroundings. And the first sight that filled her eyes was Heero.

What she had thought to be her pillow was actually his torso - not that it was at all soft or fluffy like a pillow. Quite the contrary; his chest and abdomen were toned and taut.

Relena blushed and righted herself.

"Sorry." She tucked a few strands of her long blond hair, which she knew had to be terribly mussed, behind her ears and kept her eyes downcast. "How long was I out?"

"A few hours." Relena thought she detected a smirk from Heero, but as usual he managed to mask his expression, retaining that soldier's somber countenance. "We'll be landing soon."

"Oh." She peered out the window at nothing but dark, deep, endless space. It certainly didn't look like they'd be landing anytime soon, as the colony they were headed for was nowhere in sight.

"You were talking in your sleep."

Relena swung her eyes back over to Heero, partially amazed that he was continuing the conversation. "Oh, really?" She realized the flush was deepening in her cheeks. She was sure her face was burning hot pink. "Did I say anything… embarrassing?"

Heero gave an impassive shrug, focusing his attention on his laptop. Relena arched a brow.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

His stoic expression barely gave way, the corner of his mouth curling just a tiny bit upward.

Relena gave a little huff, crossing her arms over her chest. "Cute, Heero. Really cute. You're adorable." She added an eye roll to ensure he'd know she was kidding. Just in case.

"Yeah, you said something like that." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Really." She huffed again. "And what makes you think I was referring to you?"

He gave a low chuckle. "Should I be inclined to think otherwise?"

Relena looked at him quizzically, wondering if he was purposely mimicking her pattern of speech on purpose.

"Well, I wouldn't be so cocky, if I were you." Relena shot him her best death glare. If he was going to mock her, she could give it right back. "There are plenty of other moody ex-Gundam pilots I know. And most of them are still single."

He shot his head up and looked right at her, taking her by surprise. His gaze was intense, like… well, he didn't look like he was about to tease her anymore. His mouth hung open, as if he wanted to say something important, but wasn't sure how to start.

"Relena," he began, his dark blue eyes boring into hers. "I…"

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking…"

The two of them continued to look at one another as the pilot asked the passengers to fasten their seatbelts and prepare for landing. Relena wondered what had made Heero turn so serious. She only hoped he'd bring it up again, rather than brushing the moment off like it hadn't happened.

The momentary interruption allowed her a chance to peek out the window again. This time, she could see the sparkling lights of the bright, new colony up ahead.

Putting her thoughts of Heero on pause for the moment, Relena felt a rush of excitement about their visit to the new colony. It was history in the making; she and a number of other ESUN delegates were being sent as a convoy to help implement policies and procedures for the governance structure of the settlement. The colony, L6, had been constructed not far off from where the former L5 colony was located before it was destroyed prior to the Eve Wars. While Relena knew that the visit would involve plenty of late-night meetings, she was thrilled to be among the first officials to explore the uncharted territory.

She didn't realize that she was bouncing slightly in her seat until Heero placed a hand on her arm to still her.

"Relax," he murmured.

She did her best to not look embarrassed. Not again.

"Aren't you excited, Heero?" She decided to make him feel like the odd one for being so subdued. He usually looked to her for social cues, anyway, and she didn't see any need to rein in her emotions.

Heero frowned. "What for?"

"You get to walk around on a brand-new colony." Relena poked his arm playfully.

"So?"

"So?" She echoed him incredulously. "It could be fun."

He shrugged one shoulder. "They're all the same."

Relena shook her head, knowing she probably couldn't win this argument. She hadn't grown up in the colonies, like he had.

"Well, maybe we could still have some fun." She tried to keep from pouting. She wasn't going to let his grumpiness affect her.

"If you say so." Heero snapped his laptop shut abruptly.

Relena glared in annoyance. "Why are you in such a bad mood, anyway?"

"I'm not in a bad mood." He didn't look up at her as he placed his laptop in its bag and shoved it under the seat in front of him.

"Are you sure?" she prodded. "Because you certainly seem to be…"

"I'm fine," he cut her off, shooting her a quick glance before leaning back in his seat, folding his arms and closing his eyes.

Relena wondered if she had anything to do with his change in temperament. For now, she decided to let the matter drop. At least until they were alone in their hotel room later.

She shivered. They were staying together this time. Usually Relena traveled with an entourage, and Heero would stay in an adjoining room. But this trip was limited to a handful of officials, and since much of the colony was still under construction, they were all staying in a small hotel. That meant space was limited, too. When Relena's assistant tried to book two rooms for her but couldn't, Relena had only pretended to be disappointed. Heero hadn't reacted at all. Not that Relena knew of, anyway.

She wondered how and if he would react when they were finally alone. And she felt incredibly nervous thinking of all the ways she could possibly make a total fool of herself. It was one thing to have him in her home day in and out; there, Heero had a room of his own, far removed from her chambers. Over the past few years Heero had worked as head of security and her personal bodyguard, Relena could count on one hand the number of times he'd entered her bedroom. He was nothing if not a stickler for protocol.

And Relena fully expected that Heero would station himself on the couch tonight. He probably wouldn't even ask for a pillow or blanket. Relena was doing her very best not to fill her head with fantasies that were in no way about to come true.

But what if… What if, without the need to keep up pretenses, Heero would give her a glimpse of his soul? Or at least tell her how he really felt about her? She only hoped for a tiny little something; with Heero, even the smallest gesture or glance seemed to be layered in meaning. Perhaps, for once, he would allow himself to relax.

She was tempted to squeeze his hand as the shuttle was guided into an opening leading to the landing strip inside the massive spaceport. It was one of the largest Relena had seen, which filled her with hope that the colonization of the new territory would be successful. In six months' time, she was sure that it would be a bustling port.

In the meantime, it was rather deserted, with only a few employees working on the tarmac. Relena craned her neck to look out the window as the shuttle came to a smooth landing. She smiled, forgetting her nervousness, and reached for Heero's hand. Without looking over at him, she gave it a tight squeeze. A beat later she felt him squeeze back.

That's a good sign, she thought blissfully. We're going to be just fine…

Several minutes later the seat belt sign turned off. Heero rose from his aisle seat and began to pull down their bags, first placing Relena's on his empty seat before reaching for his own.

"Excuse me, young man?" An elderly woman's voice came from the seat behind them. "Would you mind helping me with my bag?"

He turned and immediately offered his assistance. Relena couldn't help but smile. Heero Yuy may have been stoic, but he was rarely impolite.

Relena watched as the tiny older woman thanked him profusely. She then focused her gaze on Relena.

"You have such a kind husband," she gushed.

Relena could practically feel her face go pale. Even Heero looked horrified. She tried to clear her throat. "I…"

The lady grasped Heero's arm. "And you make such a lovely couple."

"Thank you." Oddly enough, Heero had found his voice first. Relena just gaped at him. He caught her eye and shrugged.

Relena was right about one thing. Shortly after arriving in their hotel room, which was much smaller than she was accustomed to, Heero had thrown his stuff down on the couch, staking out his turf. She thought about saying something, but resigned herself to taking the bed. As if he would let her have it any other way.

She bit her lip, trying to distract herself from the awkwardness that was sure to ensue, at least until one or both of them fell asleep. She paced the length of the room, mostly watching her feet, not at all noticing that she was about to plow head first into something. Or, rather, someone.

Heero stopped Relena mid-pacing, simply by stopping short in front of her. She gasped in alarm. How did he get there?

He didn't say anything to her, so she didn't speak up herself, just looked up at him, a mixture of nervousness and wonder. What if he was about to kiss her? The few times he had, it had completely caught her off-guard. Usually there was some brief, telltale sign it was about to happen. A twinkle in his eye, a smirk… something. He gave her nothing this time. Relena was about to harrumph out loud. He was probably just messing with her.

She moved to her right to go around him, but Heero also went right. She bobbed left and he weaved. She tried to move again, her frustration mounting until Heero finally grabbed her by the shoulders and physically moved her to his left side, then stepped around her.

She whirled on him. "What was that all about?"

Heero just chuckled and walked toward the bathroom. "Relena, I think you're tired," he said as he strolled away.

"Tired?" she muttered to herself. "I'm not tired." She continued to mumble things as she laid her suitcase on the end of the bed, opened it and began tossing clothes around. If he caught her doing it she would just claim to be setting out her outfit for tomorrow morning, but honestly, she just felt like throwing something.

Relena couldn't help but wonder what things would be like between them if they were just some "normal" couple. Without the shadows of war still looming over them, haunting their steps. Or if she were with some other guy, would he tease her or pretend to not be interested? Or would he just grab her and kiss her silly?

She sighed. She didn't want to think poorly of Heero; she knew very well why he didn't reciprocate every action of hers or unveil his every emotion. Over the years she had done her best to get to know him, as much as he would allow. She loved him; that was inevitable. And she realized that he most likely knew it.

After all, it had been six years since they'd met that day on the beach. For the past four years, they'd worked together on a frequent basis. And not too long ago, he had become her full-time bodyguard and moved into her home. It made her giddy and jumpy and everything but the mature, professional Vice Foreign Minister she was so good at pretending to be. She was completely aware of his every movement; it drove her absolutely crazy.

And Relena still had to wonder - after six years, did Heero love her, too? She got the feeling that he did, even if couldn't find a way to say it.

She watched and waited for Heero to emerge from the restroom, then quickly looked away when he did. She was trying not to feel too overwhelmed by shyness, staying in such close proximity to him. But even the thought of sharing a bed with him made her blush furiously.

"What are you doing?" He strode across the room toward her.

"Getting ready for tomorrow." She attempted to make her sorting look like less of a mess than it actually was.

"That's good," he was saying. "You should try to turn in early; you need rest."

Relena faced him, hands on her hips. Was he her bodyguard or her father? What nerve…

"I had plenty of rest on the flight, thank you." She went back to flinging her clothes and undergarments haphazardly, and thought this time she detected an amused smirk on Heero's face.

"It looks to me like you're getting punchy." He snatched the suitcase away from her and set it on the floor.

I'll show you who's punchy, she wanted to retort, but didn't. Instead she decided to remind him who was boss.

"I want to go out," she announced, walking to take her turn in the bathroom. "I'll just freshen up and we can go."

"We're not going out." Relena turned to meet Heero's equally defiant glare.

"Yes, we are. We haven't even had dinner."

"We can just order pizza. Put a movie on. No need to go anywhere."

Relena huffed. Why did they sound like an old married couple? Already? And without any marital perks, she thought morosely.

"I don't want to stay in and order pizza." Her hands found their place at her hips once more. "We're on a brand-new colony, Heero! We should explore."

"I already told you, they all look the same," he glowered. "It's not as exciting as you think. You should be more concerned with getting the rest you need. You have a busy schedule tomorrow."

"Heero, when did you get so dull?" Relena lamented, stamping her foot. "We're still young, aren't we? Can't we just live a little?"

She saw a twitch in one of his eyes. He was relenting; she knew it.

"For the record," he said, taking a few steps toward her, "I've never been dull." He needn't remind her; she very readily recalled his Gundam pilot days. Heero oozed danger and all sorts of other forbidden things. And even if he preferred peace and quiet these days, he was far from a fuddy-duddy. But still. Her taunting had gotten the desired result.

She beamed at him. "Well, I'm relieved to hear it. So… you want to go?"

He grimaced, but finally gave a curt nod of his head, only grunting his reply. "Hn."

Although Relena practically had to drag Heero around the colony streets, she felt her persistence was worth it. The place was relatively deserted, but still up and coming, with a long line of shops, cafes and restaurants sporting brightly-colored lights. It felt like they had a whole city to themselves.

And even if her suitor was a tad unwilling, Relena allowed herself to make-believe they were on a date. In all the time she'd known him, Heero had never once asked her out. Relena could hardly believe he'd even kissed her before; when she thought about it, it made very little sense. And while they often shared meals together, it was always in her office or her home or on a plane or shuttle, and of course that didn't count. It couldn't count.

Relena made a silent vow that somehow, she would get Heero Yuy on a proper date, even if she had to formally ask him out and risk rejection. She was the girl who had her birthday party invitation ripped in front of her face; six years later, she was still hanging around the same guy. And if he hadn't shown a more than friendly interest in her with those kisses, she just might have given up on him. Even if she knew deep down that there was no way she could.

She pointed out various restaurants to Heero, hoping something would spark his interest. "How about French food? That little bistro looks cute…"

"I doubt a French bistro on a colony has anything you'd find appetizing," Heero replied blandly, effectively taking the wind out of Relena's sails.

"Ok…" she tried again. "What about Italian?"

Heero looked bored. "Same problem."

She pointed to another neon sign. "Japanese?"

"Seriously?"

"You don't want to eat anything, do you?" Relena finally snapped, exasperated. "I think you'd rather starve."

"I said I'd do pizza." She glanced up at him, noting how firmly his jaw was set. He could be stubborn when he wanted to.

"Why didn't you just say you wanted pizza in the first place?"

"I did. Earlier."

"Well you didn't mention it was the only food you'd eat." She wanted to roll her eyes but refrained. "And you already said 'no' to Italian."

"Pizza's not Italian," Heero countered.

"Yes, it is!"

"No, it's not…"

Relena bit her tongue to keep from furthering the argument. She refused to bicker with him like an old married couple since they technically were not even on a date.

She tried one more attempt to steer Heero toward the nice Italian restaurant they had passed, but he was not having it. Instead they found themselves standing under a gaudy red, white and green striped marquee with a blinking, half-working yellow neon sign proclaiming "HAPPY'S PIZZA."

Relena quirked an eyebrow. "Heero, are you sure?"

He just shrugged. "It doesn't look so bad."

"I am seriously questioning your taste, Heero Yuy…"

And for good reason. The restaurant was mostly abandoned, save for a small cluster of rowdy colony construction workers seated at the bar. She and Heero settled in a sticky pleather booth that Relena had to wipe down with several napkins before agreeing to sit. She never considered herself a snob, but really… Just because she had changed into her "casual outfit" of jeans and a loose gray cardigan did not mean she wanted to subject her garments to filth.

An old-fashioned song blasted from a nearby jukebox featuring a crooner belting in Italian. Relena understood snatches of the lyrics and knew it to be a massively sappy love song. She sighed. Was this supposed to be romantic?

Heero was completely oblivious to the atmosphere, focused on the scant menu. Relena was content to let him order for her. She doubted she could digest much of the food there.

When their pizza at last arrived, both looked down at the metal pan in dismay. The flattened round item covered in stringy-looking cheese that looked suspiciously like soya "cheeze" had a few chunks of tomato scattered here and there, and some tiny green sprinkles masquerading as basil.

"What did you order?" she whispered to Heero.

"The pizza margherita," he answered, not exactly looking hungry himself.

"No," Relena muttered. "Just… no. It looks like cardboard."

"Dare you to take a bite."

Her eyes swung upward to look at Heero's face. He was smirking at her. Her anxiety washed away, and she finally allowed herself to relax. And laugh.

"Heero, this looks terrible…" She practically convulsed into giggles.

"Come on. It can't be that bad." He edged the platter toward her.

"It can be, and it is. Please, Heero, don't eat this." She giggled into her sleeve, hoping that the chef or owner couldn't hear them. "Save yourself."

"You're chicken." Heero used the pizza slicer to cut himself a slice. "You don't know what you're missing…"

Relena gaped as she watched him take a bite. She was amazed that he even swallowed.

And then grimaced.

"I knew it!" She pointed at him. "Admit that it's terrible."

"It's… not the best." He shrugged. "But I've had worse."

"I bet you have." She started to giggle uncontrollably again. "But seriously. Let's get out of here, please? We can find something else… Anything else."

She caught him smirking again. "Snob."

Relena kicked him playfully under the table. "It's not that! But surely, you must have some standards. It's not just me."

"It is you. You're a snob." Heero reached under the table and snatched Relena's ankle, deftly removing her shoe.

"Hey! Give that back!" She tried to kick at him, but his hold on her ankle was too strong.

"That's what you get for being such a princess…"

"Heero!"

He stopped tormenting her when the waiter came by to see how they were doing. Relena couldn't help it; she burst out laughing. Even Heero started to chuckle, although mostly under his breath.

"We'll take the check," he said finally.

Relena was wiping away tears of laughter as they exited the restaurant, carrying a box full of the uneaten pizza.

"I felt too awful to leave it there," she groaned between giggles.

"Yeah? Well, I felt bad about paying for it." Heero shot her a glare, but Relena noticed the slight twitch it his eye that revealed he was teasing. And maybe that he was actually having fun. She took a chance and laced her arm through his.

"You know, overall this hasn't been a bad first date…"

"First date?"

That stopped Heero in his tracks. Relena looked up to see the look of shock scrawling across his face. It was the same look he'd had when they were dancing together during her high school's party, and she revealed to him that she knew far more about him than he thought she did.

Enough beating around the bush, she thought. They were in their twenties now; things had to progress.

"Yes, Heero. You know that thing people do, when they go out to eat and one person pays? That's a date, in most cultures, anyway."

He was wide-eyed still. Relena tried to remain upbeat, refusing to let disappointment set in. He had to know it was a date, she told herself. Even Heero Yuy should be able to figure this out…

Heero's mouth dropped open again.

Just say it, she prompted him mentally. Tell me you love me so I can say it, already…

"Relena…" His voice had dropped to a near whisper as his brows knit together. "I thought…"

She tilted her face toward his out of habit. They were already standing so close together. Would he give in and kiss her this time? She let her eyes flutter closed, just in case.

And then a gloved hand wrapped itself around her mouth. Her eyes flew open to see Heero's panicked face turning into a big, swirling blur before she collapsed.