Back To Zero
a 1xR, 3xR fanfic by Ines kanoyan
Romance/Drama
Chapter 1: All this time
AC200: The Earth and colonies are successfully coexisting with each other. Of course through the combined efforts of those who wish to live peacefully, there are little resistances that emerge once in a while but the organization, The Preventers manage to stabilize everything before anything becomes out of hand.
With these, the five former Gundam pilots now live a relatively peaceful and normal young adult's life. Well except for the fact that they are all part of a special force involved with the Preventers. There information as former Gundam pilots has been classified and each one lives a normal life as a student. Chang Wufei is the most active member of The Preventers, being in charge as Lady Une's subordinate while finishing his studies in a special academy for Preventers. Quatre Raberba Winner is busy handling some of the many businesses of the Winner Corporation juggling it with taking graduate degree in business management. Trowa Barton lives with his sister, Catherine in L3 colony. He continues to perform with the circus while working for special missions for The Preventers. Duo Maxwell decided to set up a small car manufacturing business and is living with Hilde Scheibeker who helps him with his business. Heero Yuy just finished undergraduate studies in Biology and is involved in highly dangerous missions around Space, still part of his peace-keeping missions for The Preventers.
Relena Peacecraft, on the other hand, continues to be the Earth Sphere United Nations representative to the colonies. Although, her work now isn't as tedious a before wherein most leaders are quite stubborn and haven't been used to idea of a healthy coexistence between the colonies and the Earth, years of hard work paid off and more and more leaders are sensible enough and is now one with most of the ideals of the Pacifist Princess.
Relena stared out of her window as she paused from reading one of the documents she has to submit to the ESUN committee. In moments like this wherein she would let her mind drift off from work and think of something else, she always, always find her thoughts settling on one person.
'Heero'
She sighed as she caught herself reminiscing their moments together. She deeply regretted her decision to request Lady Une to reassign the Gundam pilots to other positions rather than being her personal bodyguard. After the Marimeia incident, there had been several groups wanting to destroy the peace all over the colonies. The vice foreign minister decided that the five Gundam pilots are much more needed by the people that by her. Plus the fact that most of the rebellious groups have given up on doing anything to her, knowing that she will always be that enigmatic figure loved by all people-of the Earth and of the colonies. Since then, she has seldom seen or heard of Heero. Although, they would sometimes see each other in special meetings with the Preventers, she noticed how he was constantly trying to avoid her or simply ignoring her, making sure they make no contact at all.
However, whenever there eyes would accidentally meet, she could feel the concern, the care, the indescribable feelings emanate from his Prussian blue eyes. She couldn't say it was just her imagination for even if those eye contacts were brief and fleeting, the intensity was there, the intensity was great.
She took out a small card from her table's drawer.
"Happy Birthday, Relena", the card read.
She gently stroked the handwritten letters, it was from him. He had never missed to send something for her birthdays. Different kinds of stuffed teddy bears always accompanied with a card with a note greeting her 'Happy Birthday'. From these gifts Relena have always felt that he will always be there for her; that they still had this deep connection they had developed from the war and that continues to develop through the years. Oh how she missed him; how she misses him. And with only a week to go before her 20th birthday, Relena couldn't help but smile as she anticipated another link to strengthen their connection. Heero would never fail her; he would have something for her again.
Heero stared blankly out of the window of the Preventers private jet. He was on his way to the L2 colony to meet with Duo. He had just finished working on a mission and Lady Une had informed him that there wasn't an upcoming mission for him. So he was technically on a vacation, just in time for her birthday. He smiled inwardly to himself. This was the first time he was ever free for her birthday and with no missions yet to come. He had ran out of birthday gift ideas for her or was it really it? Or maybe this time he wanted to give something to himself- the gift of seeing her, being with her for her birthday.
And for this reason, he decided to meet up with Duo who had been romantically involved with Hilde for five years now. Whenever they would team up for a mission, Heero would notice Duo's inward happiness that emanates from him. Yes, he had always been the most cheerful and jolly of all the Gundam pilots, but now it seems like he's let go of all the hurt and the pain the war has caused for all of them. He thought that it was maybe because he now had someone to belong with. A person, who understands him, accepts him and is just simply there-for him.
Heero wanted Duo's help on how to show Relena who she really is to him. He still couldn't figure why he can't adjust with the normal life as well as the other guys. Maybe because he was often alone and his only connection during the war had been Dr. J unlike the rest who had siblings like Trowa and Quatre or a clan to protect like Wufei or a plain cheerful outlook that help to establish connections like Duo. For that, he thought that Duo was the perfect one to help him finally establish a connection with Relena or at least confirm that they really have one.
As the jet landed and as he mounted off from it, Heero immediately spotted Duo who was wearing a huge playful smile on his face. He hit him on the back as he approached him.
"Hey man! So nice to see you and to even visit me? Geez, I'm so flattered, the ever anti-social Heero Yuy comes and visits me!" Duo teased.
Heero glared at him and smirked. This type of remarks he would have to endure just to ensure he'd pull it off with the woman he loves.
"I can't wait to show you my shop! It's nothing big but soon with the help of Quatre, I bet I can get to export and be the next big car mogul!" Duo continued on with his blabbing as he and Heero walk towards his car.
"Hilde will be surprised by your visit, but she's excited and she said she'll be preparing-"
"Duo," Heero interrupted as he got inside the car.
Duo quickly glanced to him and listened as he started the car's engine.
"I need your help,"
Puzzled, Duo asked, "About what?" he knows that Heero is on vacation and he hasn't heard of any serious troubles lately.
Heero took a deep breath, preparing himself for Duo's reaction after he spills it out. "Relena,"
The puzzled look on Duo's face was instantly transformed into playful smile.
"So, is it? Hmmm, yeah it's her birthday this coming Saturday!" he exclaimed happily. "Wait don't tell me you ran out of gift ideas? Geez, I'm used to being the messenger and not the actual one to think of something, hmmm, what could-"
"I plan to see her." Again, he interrupted his loud-mouthed companion.
Duo's eyes brightened even more. "Wow! What a move!"
Heero rolled his eyes in exasperation and shot out his famous death glare at Duo.
"Ok, ok, cool down." Duo said putting his hands off the wheel and making a gesture of surrender, after receiving the dangerous glare. "So what would be my role?"
"I need you to help me what to do."
"Huh? What do you mean? You said you'll see her, spend time with her on her birthday right?" Duo asked, confused.
Heero nodded. "Right,"
Duo frowned, still in confusion. "I don't see my part. Then go to her, you know where she is."
'Sheesh, why can't he get it?' Heero thought. 'I want to confess my feelings for her, can't he get it?
Duo noticed that Heero was closing his hands into fists and that his face was twitching uncomfortably as if he was nervous or something. And that was when he finally got it!
"You want to confess to her!" Duo proclaimed happily.
Heero glared at him once again. "Yeah,"
"Oooohhh, this is even much more exciting!" Duo squealed in delight. "I'd better call Hilde, she'll be ecstatic. She's the president of the Heero-Relena fans club, you know."
Heero snatched the phone off Duo's hands.
"What's wrong?"
Heero stared at him exasperatedly. "Duo, I'm serious about this."
Duo sensed Heero's nervousness, as if what they were talking about was a matter of life and death much like an extremely dangerous mission.
Duo sighed as he commented, "Rub it off, man. Don't be so nervous about this. You'll do just fine. I mean, go to her, bring something special and tell her how you feel as simple as that."
Heero looked at him in awe. He couldn't believe this was all nothing to Duo, he wondered how the guy confessed to Hilde. "Tell me, how did you do it with Hilde?"
Duo smiled playfully again. "Oh that," he chuckled as he remembered how Hilde and him started. "It was just a normal day, you know how Hilde is. Just always around to help and before the day ended when she was about to leave, I grabbed her arm and pulled her close to me and kissed her. And the rest as they say is….pretty much what you see."
"Really?" Heero said in disbelief. That sounded easy but not something he thought might work with Relena.
Heero sighed hopelessly; maybe Duo couldn't do anything to help. Duo noticed Heero's sudden silence and commented, "Yeah, maybe that was a bit aggressive. Hilde's different from Relena. Hilde and I are pretty much like buddies, if it weren't for her body, I wouldn't see her as a girl. I mean, we treat each other normally. But you and Relena are different. Geez, I can't deny the intensity that builds up whenever you two look at each other."
"What?" Heero blurted out in annoyance.
"I mean, Hilde and I are just, oh how do I put this? Just easy on the eye, easy on each other, no complications. But you and Relena, you're so formal with each other, it's like there's so much resistance, so much inhibition, so much hesitation, when you both know you're crazy about each other." Duo managed to explain.
He was right. I t may seem like that-full of tension and apprehension. But inside him, whenever he thought of her, he would feel indescribably serene and at peace. Thinking of her, relaxes him, soothes him. She was like the ocean, full of waves sometimes but as a whole it's one big blue oblivion that gives life to everything. And that was Relena to him-the one who holds his life.
"I know!" Duo exclaimed, as he manoeuvred the car in a different direction.
"Huh, what? Why are you making a U-turn?"
"I know just what you need." Duo said with conviction.
In minutes they were inside a jewellery shop, with all those glittery, shiny, silvery rings, necklaces of various types and kinds. Heero stared at each one deciding which of these would fit Relena.
"If you would confess you need a token of love to give her." Duo explained as he moved beside him. "Am I brilliant or what?"
"Yeah," Heero confessed irritably. He wouldn't deny, it was indeed the perfect idea. But looking at all the shop's merchandise, there wasn't any that fit his standards. Nothing here would be perfect for her.
Heero walked out of the shop, leaving behind a confused Duo.
"Hey! I thought my idea was perfect?" Duo cried out following Heero. "That was the last shop."
"You go ahead; I'm not coming to your place." Heero said.
"What? Where are you going?"
"I'll find the perfect gift for Relena." Heero replied as he called a taxi cab. "Thanks."
With that he rode the taxi and zoomed off, leaving Duo to sigh for himself and wish his lovestruck friend a good luck.
He affectionately stared at the glittery jewellery on his hand. He had asked a craftsman to custom made a white gold necklace with a pendant of white gold mesh forming a sphere and inside it dangled a glittery sapphire stone. He had found that sapphire three years ago in one of his missions in a mining area. He had saved the life of one miner and in gratitude the old man gave him that precious sapphire. It reminded him so much of her eyes. He had it cut and shaped to reveal its optimum beauty and together with the white gold globe, it represented what Relena was to him-the water of his world. With that he was ready to face Relena, to surprise her, to come back to Earth, to come back to her.
He gazed outside the window of the small commercial plane he was in. From there he could see the nothingness of space and with that he slowly allowed himself to drift into a peaceful sleep, with a smile on his face.
All this time
We were waiting for each other
All this time
I was waiting for you
We got all this words
Can't waste them on another
So I'm straighting a straight line
Running back to you
~All This Time
by: One Republic
-to be continued-
A/N: What do you think? Please review, I accept anything, this is my first fic so please I need some feedback, ok? Thanks!
After all this years they still haven't talked about the special connection between them. But just when they're ready to give in, fate finds a way to pull them apart or is it more of a way of forging their connection to make it last forever? 1xR.