Relena/

The full moon illuminated the road as they rode down the cliff's seaside highway.

Relena never expected Heero to actually ever agree, but then again, she was a diplomat - and she was known for her skill with persuasion. After talking entire nations into disarming, getting Heero to let her try out his motorcycle should have been easy. Only, this was Heero Yuy we were talking about.

"But you've been saying that I need to relax more, Heero. This is one way I can do it," Relena had said.

"Learning to ride a motorcycle isn't relaxing," said Heero. He was standing against the wall with his arms crossed, eyes closed. There was only a little time before Relena had to go on stage to give her speech. But if she was going to win this argument, it had to be now. He was avoiding looking at her, but if she could get his eyes locked on hers, she'd knew win him over.

"Heero," she said. Relena touched his arm lightly. When he still didn't look at her, she pressed a little harder. A moment or two went by. Then Heero sighed, opening his eyes and uncrossing his arms. Relena couldn't help but smile. He knew he'd already lost.

"Fine. But I'm going with you. It's too dangerous for you-

"-to be alone. Yes, I'm aware," Relena finished.

Heero now sat behind her, holding onto her waist gingerly. At first, he'd tried to just sit there, and Relena could feel the tension coming off him as he told her how to start the bike. Then, she hit the gas. When it came to gravity she supposed that even Heero had to make a choice to fight it or succumb. He chose to grab onto her, but sat a fair distance away.

Despite Heero being her bodyguard for the last year, he still kept physical contact to a minimum. And usually she did not intrude upon him. It was still like a dream to have Heero around her every day and she didn't want to do anything that might make her have to wake up.

But today, Relena felt her mischievous side coming out.

Relena already had the hang of the bike. Heero didn't say anything, but she had a feeling he was impressed. She leaned into a curve and Heero automatically leaned with her. After the only car on the highway had passed - Heero had made sure they waited until well past midnight - Relena hit the gas. Hard.

Heero's hands pressed into her as he struggled to hang on. Then as she'd hoped, his grip tightened. She did feel a little guilty though. Lately, Relena spent her free time trying to get a reaction out of him, any reaction that didn't have to do with their jobs. She did now that she had realized Heero wasn't going to disappear if she didn't act like a perfect princess, anyway.

Truthfully, this wasn't Relena's first time on a motorcycle. One of her classmates had offered her and her friends a ride a few times, even asking if she wanted to try it out herself. She had declined then, albeit wistfully.

Another curve approached them. Relena saw her chance. It was a risky gambit, but then again she had never hesitated when faced with risk before. Relena kept her speed steady.

"Slow down," Heero's voice said firmly near her ear. It was muffled by his helmet and the wind. Relena pretended not to hear him and instead readied herself.

Heero said nothing, but after a second pulled himself closer to Relena, wrapping his arms fully around her waist. They both leaned in again as they took the curve, hard.

Relena felt Heero's warmth on her cold back. She could feel his firm muscles beneath his jacket too. Relena had to fight the urge to completely let go, to melt back into him. Heero's secure grip around her waist helped keep her together somehow, yet made it harder somehow too. His partial embrace felt protective and... good. Really good.

"Relena," Heero said.

"Huh," said Relena. She was a little ashamed to admit that she had had daydreams about what it would finally feel like to be held in those arms...Then she realized they started drifting over to the other lane of traffic. Fighting down a small moment of panic, she jerked the bike back into their own lane.

"You sure you haven't ridden a motorcycle before?" Heero asked.

"Mostly," Relena said dreamily, now making a concerted effort to both pay attention and enjoy this moment while it lasted. They were almost back to the hotel where they were staying. She slowed down and let herself sink back into him just a little.

"We're not doing this again," Heero said after a few minutes of silence.

"Why not, Heero? I'm fine, aren't I?"

Heero didn't respond and she knew she had likely won again, at least for now. Relena noticed he hadn't let go of her waist or moved away either.

"Besides," she said quietly, "as long as you're with me, I'll be okay."

Heero gripped her a little more tightly and Relena smiled.

Heero/

This was a bad idea. Relena was winning way too many arguments lately. He had managed day to day life with the headstrong girl by putting one rule above all else: Relena's safety comes first.

But it wasn't that easy to remember when faced with those bright blue eyes staring at him. Whatever. Maybe I'm losing my edge. Maybe I need to retrain.

He was already training every spare moment he had. To do anymore would mean leaving Relena - and her safety - in someone else's hands. Not gonna happen.

Still, he wasn't sure how he had gotten roped into this. A memory of her touching him popped in his mind and he shook it off. Focus. Right, relaxing. Relena "relaxing" meant he had to be on his toes. But she did need some time off or she wouldn't last very long as the Vice Foreign Minister. So if that meant indulging her stranger desires sometimes, so be it.

Heero lurched back. He tightened his grip as he tried not to fall off the motorcycle. Relena had hit the gas too hard. She was still learning, but he had figured she would catch on quickly. Still, he was a little surprised by just how quickly she had caught on. She never ceased to amaze him.

Another curve was coming up. Relena seemed not to see it.

"Slow down, Relena," Heero said.

No change.

Is she doing this on purpose?

Heero realized he risked falling off at this rate. He felt his face heat up as he inched closer to Relena, wrapping his arms as carefully as he could far away from her breasts but not too low either. He tried to ignore her body's warmth against his...Focus, Heero. He inclined his body inward as she did and they took the curve better than he'd expected. Maybe he had been worrying too much.

Then again...

"Relena," Heero said. They were drifting over into the wrong lane.

"Huh," said Relena. She sounded dazed. Was she getting tired? It was late. She forced the bike back over into their lane. He didn't see how this could be so relaxing for her. Or maybe it was boring.

"You sure you haven't ridden a motorcycle before?" Heero said.

"Mostly," Relena said sleepily. She did seem like she was actually calm for the first time in months.

She finally slowed down. Relena fell back into him a little when she did. As the otherwise quiet night passed by them, Heero found the tension leaving his body as well. For a brief moment, he let himself feel her body against his, more subconsciously than anything. It was easy to forget that she was the Vice Foreign Minister; the key to their continued peace. Dangerous to forget it, but easy too.

One thing he never forgot though. He was well aware that she was the most important person in the world.

"We're not doing this again," Heero heard himself saying. He felt, somewhere, a pang of regret as soon as he had said it.

It was just too risky to make a regular thing though.

Risky for who?

"Why not, Heero? I'm fine, aren't I?" Relena said. He could tell from her pleased tone that she wasn't going to go down without an argument. And his heart wouldn't really be in it anyway.

I'll let this one go.

"Besides, as long as you're with me, I'll be okay," she added.

You're right. Heero reflexively tightened his grip around her. I won't ever let anything happen to you, Relena.

Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to keep doing these midnight rides.