Their Brief Kisses

by LaughingDot

For some time now, they had shared brief kisses on the rare occasion that they were this close. A brush here, a peck there, and eventually it had turned into something of a habit.

Year is AC 197, May

Relena drank too much wine. She knew it. Her head felt fuzzy, the lights shimmered, and everyone seemed much funnier than they really were. Standing on an ornate balcony of the host's lavish mansion, Relena took a deep breath hoping the cool recycled colony air would sober her up.

No such luck. She swayed a little when she stepped back.

Only water for the rest of the night, she told herself.

As gracefully as possible, she pushed her bangs from her forehead and tucked them back in their proper place. If someone were to walk by she wanted to still look somewhat poised. Finally, she returned to the dining hall, where she hoped to salvage the night. Despite what anyone said, wine and tricky negotiations do not mix.

At last, the torturous dinner ended. After several long goodbyes and empty promises to meet up again, Relena returned to the house she was residing in for her time on the colony. Her body guards escorted her to the door, but she dismissed them there. There was already a security staff in place for the home. The large oak door groaned as she threw her full weight against it to ease the monstrosity open. She caught her breath and allowed the door to shut once she was fully inside. In the darkened foyer, the tall, endlessly sloping stairs stood ominously between her and her comfortable bedroom.

"Dear God…" she sighed.

"Too much wine?"

Relena was still far too intoxicated to be startled. Besides, she recognized the voice.

"Unfortunately."

"Are you sure?" Heero Yuy inquired further.

"Yes. I don't think there was anything in the wine except the usual amount of alcohol."

The colony Relena was visiting was considered "uncooperative' by the ESUN. Uncooperative was not equivalent to hostile, but after the Mariemaia Rebellion, Preventer took no chances. Although Relena knew a Preventer agent had been assigned to her during the visit, she hadn't been told who. The excuse was something about keeping the agent's cover. While initially skeptical about being uninformed, she eventually bent to the wishes of Commander Une, just like everyone else.

However, standing in her rented foyer, she knew her shaggy haired guard before she even saw him. Strangely, Relena could always sense the former Gundam pilot Heero Yuy's presence.

"Would you please help me to my room?" She asked, extending an arm to him. This was definitely a two man job.

Heero simply nodded and slipped his arm around her waist. A couple years ago, his close proximity would have made her bashful, but now it was a comfort. She scarcely ever saw Heero unless Preventer was involved, so finding him in the house was a pleasant surprise. With him by her side, Relena made it to her room without incident.

At her door, she effortlessly turned the handle, pushing it open. It was much lighter than the main entrance. The exertion of opening the leviathan door and ascending the steps of Babel wore off most of the effects from tonight's drinks. Also, Relena suspected it was the influence of the man beside her. He had a peculiar way of making her more alert and relaxed at the same time.

"Thank you." She told him.

"You're welcome." He replied in his familiar short manner.

Relena turned in his supportive grasp and placed a palm on his cheek as a gesture of gratitude. Suddenly, however, she felt very comfortable in his arms, like being in a cozy blanket in the middle of winter. The thought of having to leave his immediate vicinity was completely unacceptable. His breath was warm against her cheek and he smelled like a mixture of soap, sweat, and smoke. It was oddly appealing. She felt some stubble on his cheek. He must have not shaved in some time. The man also really needed a haircut. In the dim light she could barely see his eyes. All she could see were his very blue irises peeking between dark strands of hair. Then, she kissed him.

This had happened before. For some time now, they had shared brief kisses on the rare occasion that they were this close. After that first small embrace on that dilapidated colony a year ago, this sort of outcome was not uncommon. A brush here, a peck there, and eventually it had turned into something of a habit.

The kiss was short, and more casual than romantic, but even so, their faces remained close. Eventually, Relena pulled away. Her mind was begging for sleep, and that need trumped any romantic inclinations she had at the moment. She entered her room cautiously, determining if she really was sober. Once she was securely inside, Heero nodded and disappeared down the hall. The polite "good night" wasn't missed. Relena had long ago grown used to Heero's curt behavior.

Since he hadn't given the room a once over, Relena surmised that he had already inspected it for any potential threats. Thank God. She did not want to wait to go to sleep.

The lush bed made a quiet squeak when she flopped down on it, unzipping the back of her dress while simultaneously kicking off her shoes. In the dark room, Relena finally felt that she could let herself go. Rapidly she began pulling out the dozens of pins keeping her hair up. It fell in a cascade around her shoulders, bouncing from hours of being starched in place. She would deal with it in the morning. Relena then shrugged on her night gown and dove into the sheets.

She sighed. This was heavenly. After an evening of mind numbing small talk, underhanded suggestions, and strong wine, this bed was exactly what she needed. Yet, the pleasant moment didn't last very long. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Relena wished there was someone to share the bed with.

Minutes ticked by before she moved again. This was Relena's life. She spent her days surrounded by people, but at the end, she was almost always alone. For a while mansion servants and hotel staff were the only human interaction Relena had after her work day was done. Her social life was practically limited to whatever secretary she could convince to have lunch with her, or whichever young handsome politician was around to escort her to formal events.

A few months ago Relena decided to change her routine. She decided to try and make friends rather than just professional connections. It had worked to some extend. Relena now had almost as many coffee dates as she did business meetings.

Footsteps outside her door caught Relena's attention. Being alone wasn't so bad all the time though. Especially when she knew that she was never truly by herself. There was someone out there, who despite being extremely different from her, seemed to understand her better than anyone else.

A random thought suddenly struck her. She hadn't checked her phone all evening. Her slim hand slithered out from under the covers to retrieve it from her purse on the night stand. Flicking it open, she scrolled through the messages.

Her mother had called. Relena would call her back in the morning. It was far too late. Noin had left her a message about when Relena would visit for an update on the Mars terra-forming project. Relena thought about how nice it would be to speak with Noin. They hadn't spoken in so long. And finally, there was a short, affectionate message from Ian, Relena's boyfriend, one of the best rewards of Relena's effort to be more social.

Their relationship was sweet and loving, but far from serious. Ian Carnegie claimed that it was, but Relena disagreed. The two hardly had time to see each other. Juggling their careers was too important to either of them. Their precious little time together was spent on a couch, cuddling and watching movies. If the chance came up, they went to classy functions together, but most of the time they simply found other nearby partners. If he was on Earth, she was usually in the colonies. If she was on an L-2 colony, he was on the lunar base. If she was in Brussels, he was in New York. That was just how their relationship worked. But, despite everything, Ian was good company. He was smart, handsome, kind and above all, he made her happy.

Relena answered Ian back with an equally endearing response and then placed her phone back on the night stand. She turned on her side and snuggled back down into the soft mattress. Again she heard a set of quiet footsteps in the hallway. As Relena drifted off, her thoughts shifted from Ian Carnegie to another young man accompanying her tonight. There was a lean, stoic, indestructible Preventer agent somewhere in the house, and it was him who filled her thoughts as she fell asleep.

AC 198, August

Heero was hungry. Somewhere in the bustle of the busy day, he hadn't eaten anything. Now his stomach was protesting vehemently. His body was trained to endure long periods of time without sustenance. However it seemed to have grown used to the years of peace where food was readily available. Perhaps he needed some retraining. In his peripheral, Heero saw someone shove a bagel towards him.

"I can hear your stomach all the way down the hall, buddy," Duo Maxwell commented, taking a bite out of his own bagel.

Heero took the circular bread but kept watching the speakers below them. Currently they were surveying a debate between Vice Foreign Minister Darlian and the Minister of Colonial Resources. The topic was a heated one, and the base they were on was a hit on Preventer's radar. Working with Preventer was not typical for Heero, however, whenever Relena was involved, Preventer never hesitated to call him. It was peculiar but Heero didn't dwell on it. Two nights ago, Heero got a message from Commander Une and reported to the base by the next morning. Duo, on the other hand, came earlier this afternoon with an uncharacteristic sour expression. According to him, today was some sort of special occasion for the American and his girlfriend, and as a result, he was very put out with Preventer.

"She's doing pretty good, huh?" Duo noted with a full mouth.

"Yeah," was all Heero said. Then he took a bite. The bagel was cold.

"So, you talked with her before the debate?" Duo kept the conversation going.

"Briefly."

"How was she?"

"Nervous."

"I'll bet. That guy down there is like a pit bull." Duo took another bite. "But she'll do fine. She's pretty tough too."

"Yeah."

Heero's attention drifted from the debaters on the stage to a man standing in the wings. From that angle, Heero could make out his face. It was Christof Fortunatov, a 28 year old, Russian business exec who was currently dating Relena Darlian. She and Ian Carnegie amicably ended their relationship a few months ago. At least that was what they both said. Only about a month later the socialite Christof swept Relena off her feet, giving the impression that he had his eye on her even before the relationship between her and Carnegie was terminated. Except for being kind of arrogant and friendlier than was comfortable, Heero didn't have a problem with him. The guy was clean according to all Preventer records. He was however filthy rich, using it to his advantage whenever possible. Somehow he had weaseled his way backstage. Heero wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"That the new guy?" The Deathscythe pilot asked seriously, nodding in Christof's direction.

"Yeah."

"How'd he get back there?"

"No idea."

After a moment's thought, Duo swallowed the last of his sparse lunch.

"I'll take care of it." There was a hint of mischief in his tone. The man needed someone to vent his frustrations on, and the Russian rich boy had presented himself on a platter. Heero felt no sympathy for the beau as his partner left.

A few moments later Christof disappeared backstage, and then reappeared on the floor being led to his seat by an agent with long, braided hair. Heero watched the quiet scene play out with an odd sense of satisfaction. He finished his bagel, waiting until the end of the debate before leaving his post.

After relocating to the back door, he escorted the Vice Foreign Minister to her car once the press swarm parted.

"Hello Heero," she said cheerfully. Relena was the obvious winner of the debate and was rather pleased with herself.

"You did well." Heero complimented.

Relena gave him a perplexed look. He rarely ever complimented anyone.

"Thank you."

Stepping gracefully into the car, the VFM slid over to give Heero room. He sat beside her and closed the door. Once it was shut, Relena let out a long breath.

"I was so nervous." She stated.

"I could tell."

"Really?" She pouted at him. "I thought I was doing a good job of hiding it."

"You were." Heero left it at that. No matter how long they were apart, or how brief their times were together, Heero could always seem to pick up on her minute emotional signals. While he could never tell what Relena Darlian was thinking, he could usually tell what she was feeling.

"Well, thank you for not telling anyone."

Heero remembered what he told Duo, but thought it not important to inform her about. Instead he noticed a flyaway tress of her honey colored hair and gently tucked it behind her ear. As usual, her hair was soft with a silky texture. Heero wasn't sure when he had noticed that about her hair, but now whenever those delicate locks fluttered in his direction, he was compelled to touch them. Her cheek brushed against his fingers as she smiled and her bright blue eyes connected with his. Heero could admit that he was attracted to her physically. Most men in the world probably were.

Although she was involved with someone who was most likely making his way to the car at that very moment, Heero pressed his lips to Relena's anyway. As usual, it was quick. Perhaps, in a more ideal situation he would have let his lips linger. Once they parted he pulled his hand away and set it in his lap. Relena looked at him for a bit longer and then turned her attention to the window. Not a second later did the loud, smooth talking Christof swing the door open.

"You were wonderful, Baby!" He exclaimed hopping into the car.

Heero moved to the seat across from them to allow the Russian a seat. The billionaire was currently lavishing Relena with a sobering kiss. Fortunately the car windows were well tinted. When he finally released the comely politician, Relena just laughed, and ran a finger lovingly across the man's cheek in her own, more reserved form of affection. Their arms began to intertwine. At that point Heero decided to check his phone for any further orders.

AC 199, January

Relena knew that it wasn't going to last. The guy was too good to be true. He was too charming, too sweet, too good looking. Of course he was hiding something. Relena was more disappointed in herself for not seeing it.

Sitting at her desk, Relena stared at her phone. She was just waiting. There was no doubt in her mind that it would go off soon. Then, like clockwork it started buzzing and dancing around the polished cherry wood top. Christof was calling her, again. Three weeks ago Relena found out about his affair and swiftly broke off their relationship. She didn't want to deal with a scandal and certainly didn't want to make amends with Christof. Besides being deeply wounded by his indiscretion, Relena realized that their relationship must have issues if he was unfaithful, and frankly Relena didn't have the time or energy to fix it. However, Christof would not let her go. He insisted on making this whole process difficult. Relena wanted a clean break, but the man was determined to be dramatic. Why couldn't he be like Ian?

Relena answered, finally annoyed with the vibrating phone.

"Hello Christof."

"Baby, you need to talk to me."

"Christof, at the moment there isn't anything to discuss. Perhaps once we have thought over things we can try to figure out what happened between us, but now is just not the right time," Relena told him diplomatically.

"That's bullshit." He responded flatly.

"Yes, I know, but I was trying to tell you nicely that I don't want to talk to you."

"Baby, the only way we are going to fix this is if you talk to me."

Automatically Relena's forehead went to her palm.

"There is nothing to fix. It is over."

All she heard was silence at the other end. A small glimmer of hope rose in her heart. Maybe he was going to make this easier at last.

"Relena, I don't want to let you go."

Suppressing a growl, Relena sighed instead. This sort of conversation had happened before. In fact it happened at least once a day, but only if she was lucky. It seemed that nothing deterred Christof from speaking with her. She could yell, she could cry, she could be polite, she could say nothing at all, but the man persisted. Relena was at the very end of her rope.

"You let me go the instant you slept with that woman."

"I am sorry!" The Russian cried into the phone. "I was an ass. I made a mistake, Relena. How many times do I have to say that?" He then let out a frustrated groan. "Why can't you forgive me for this?"

Truthfully, she didn't have an answer. Christof called her and honestly admitted to his lapse in judgment, the morning after it happened. At first Relena found it in bad taste. She didn't want to hear all of the sordid details. In fact, deep down, Relena didn't even want to know about it at all. But then she understood what drove Christof to his lengthy confession.

Guilt. Beneath the layers of a suave playboy was a wonderful guy who really did love her. He showered her with affection and naturally expected the same in return. Christof had a huge family who were all as loud and loving as he was. However, Relena was not brought up to be that forthcoming with her emotions. She could tell that her reserved nature, while initially interesting, was slowly wearing on him. It took a lot to crack her shell, and Christof simply didn't have the patience for that.

"Christof, we just aren't meant to be. We don't work." Relena whispered.

"Relena, I still love you."

"I know."

"Do you still love me?"

"I did."

He was quiet again. The minutes were ticking by and she could practically hear him thinking. The beep of her desk phone interrupted the silence.

"Vice Foreign Minister?" The secretary's voice came over the speaker.

Relena clicked the intercom button.

"Yes?" she answered quietly.

"The agent from Preventer is here to go over the security for your trip."

"Can you have them wait please?"

"Certainly."

"Thank you."

Almost as soon as the conversation ended, Christof spoke up again.

"When?"

"Pardon?"

"When did you stop loving me?"

"I…I don't know." How do you answer a question like that?

"Really? It wasn't about a month ago when you met that Preventer agent for a logistics meeting in your hotel room?"

Relena noticed the tone in his voice. Obviously, the mention of Preventer had brought this matter up. While she suspected that said meeting bugged him, Christoff had never voiced his opinion until now.

"What are you getting at?"

"I saw the way you look at him"

"Who?" Relena knew who, but preferred to not admit it.

"The Preventer agent with the sloppy hair and deadpan face." He snarled.

"You mean Heero?" Her temper was rising. She could deal with him making an issue out of their break up, her flaws, her busy schedule, but this was something entirely different. To Relena, Heero Yuy was strictly off limits to any of her companions.

"Yeah, him." Christof retorted. "I've seen the way you look at him, Relena, several times. You tell me that you loved me until I fucked up, but I don't believe you."

"Are you accusing me of something?"

"Only if there is something you need to confess."

"I don't need to listen to this." Relena flared.

"You know, I admitted my mistake the moment it happened, but you can not admit to this! You say that I am the one who is wrong, but I am not!" Christof's accent was getting thicker the angrier he got. "You have feelings for this man but you would not tell me! You lie to me, and I am honest to you! How is that fair!" Christof then exploded into Russian.

Relena waited until his tirade was over. He repeated himself a few times, and every so often she caught an unsavory word she knew. A month's worth of suspicion and anger came out in that single, long rant. It seemed to last forever. Thankfully his words eventually cooled into heavy pants. This conversation was the worst of their recent phone chats. Never before had it escalated so fast. It was also the first time her odd relationship with Heero had been brought up, which was apparently a very touchy subject.

"Christof, this is an example of why we do not work," Relena said calmly and then hung up the phone with an air of vindication. She would get the last word, no matter what it cost. Hopefully this was the final conversation she would have with Christof for a long time.

Slumping in her chair, she reached for her desk phone and clicked the intercom button.

"Samantha, please send the Preventer agent in." At the moment, all Relena wanted was to forget about what just happened.

"Of course, Vice Foreign Minister. He is on his way."

"Wait." Relena snapped to attention. "Who did they send?"

"Agent Yuy, ma'am. I believe Commander Une sent you a full report of your security detail."

"Oh." This day was not getting any better. "Thank you Samantha."

Now knowing who was going to walk in, Relena quickly made herself presentable. Like many times before, Relena fell back on her professional persona when her emotions were in turmoil. Not too long after, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Heero entered the room with a file tucked under his arm. He was wearing his usual jeans and shirt with a Preventers jacket. His hair was in its normal state of disarray, and his eyes were sharp and alert as always. For whatever reason, he looked more handsome than Relena remembered.

"Heero, Samantha said that Commander Une sent you to talk about the security for the trip. Is that the report?" She gestured to the file.

Heero handed it to her, studying her face. He sat in the chair in front of her desk without a word. As Relena leafed through the file, perusing the information, she felt his eyes on her, but kept hers firmly on the papers in her hands. Christof's words were still floating in the back of her mind. She never denied her feelings for the man sitting in front of her, but she never admitted them aloud either.

"What's wrong?"

Heero startled her. Relena looked up and tried to conceal her reaction.

"Nothing. Just, personal issues." She waved it off.

"Christof?" Heero continued. She could never fool him.

"Yes. He called me today, and things did not go well." That was an understatement, but Relena didn't want to talk about it.

"What happened?"

Unfortunately, Heero, who never wanted to talk about anything, wanted to talk about it. With a sigh, the young politician set down the light blue folder.

"He brought up some issues we had, and we argued. Evidently, he didn't think that I cared about him enough. He thought that my focus was elsewhere." Relena glossed over the details. There were some things Heero just didn't need to know.

Thinking clearly about her defunct relationship, she suddenly felt a wave of guilt. Perhaps she really was the reason things went wrong. It was the same with Ian. She was too busy making time for the whole world, that she didn't have time for the person standing next to her. She was too infatuated with someone she could never have, that she ignored person she did.

"He didn't deserve you." Heero's voice broke the silence.

"What?"

"You have a lot of important things in your life Relena. If he couldn't understand that he wasn't the center of it, then he didn't deserve you." Heero asserted.

Amazingly, those few word made Relena feel a million times better. She always found comfort in Heero's strength. Whatever she was going through, magically Heero was there to keep her standing. He was her support structure, abiding and unbreakable. It was like fate was constantly bringing him to her the exact moment she needed him. Relena had a thought to send fate a thank you basket.

"I suppose you have a point." Relena acquiesced.

Heero nodded and then drew her attention to a certain document in the file. From there the meeting went smoothly. There were no further inquiries into her love life and Relena focused wholly on the task at hand. It was a refreshing break from her emotional crisis.

When Heero stood to leave, Relena rose as well and walked with him to the door. She was making some last minute comments before he left. At the door they both paused. Again she didn't want to leave Heero's side, but knew better then to keep him.

"Thank you." She said.

"For what?"

"Well," she gathered her thoughts, "for having this meeting with me. I'm sure I could have just been briefed at a later time."

Heero shrugged. "I was asked to meet with you, and I had no previous conflicts."

"Of course."

He then turned to leave, but Relena reached for his arm.

"And, thank you, for what you said earlier, about Christof. The last few weeks haven't been easy."

"That's understandable. You're welcome."

Relena smiled and kissed him with a bit more longing than usual before he exited her office. He walked down the hall and around the corner out of sight. Heero would probably never know how much he affected her, which was probably for the best. With a sigh she returned to her desk. Perhaps today would not end as badly as it had started.

AC 200, June

Calmly Heero loaded his semi-automatic handgun and tucked it in the waist of his pants against his lower back. Then he slipped on his unobtrusive gray jacket to conceal the weapon. Today's mission would be quick and easy. Heero had decided that early in his planning. Today's mission was also fairly dangerous and not entirely legal. Breaking and entering was considered against the law in almost every government. Theft was also outlawed nearly everywhere. Murder was definitely illegal. However, Heero didn't care. This had to be done, whether Preventer ordered it or not.

Actually, Heero had strict orders to not leave Preventer's temporary HQ, which was the west wing of the colony's ESUN embassy. Most of the time Heero was obliged to follow orders, but certain matters had to be dealt with quicker than Preventer could move. So he decided to work on his own volition

Quick and easy, he reminded himself.

Last night a secretary working in the ESUN main office was gunned down. His briefcase and laptop were stolen along with his wallet and car keys. Initially authorities thought that it was your average mugging gone wrong, but the evidence proved otherwise. It was a professional hit. The goal was the briefcase and computer. Inside was information pertaining to the inner workings of the ESUN: financial records, itineraries, contact information, and the current locations of every high ranking official, including the president.

Preventer speculated that the secretary may have been selling the information but something went wrong. Immediately the officials were taken into protective custody.

This morning, as the President's shuttle landed at a port of an L-1 colony, with Preventer waiting to scoop him up, a bomb was detonated near the dock. Two shuttle port workers and one undercover agent were killed. No one knew how the bomb got past security but it did. The incident raised a startling suspicion: this may have been an inside job. Thankfully the President was safe, tucked away in the temporary housing connected to the embassy, but the fall out was tremendous.

The media was all over the scene, clamoring to get a statement, a comment, anything. The colony's local officials were initially cooperative but became less obliging after the explosion. They just wanted it all to be cleaned up quickly before the colony's residents began to panic. To make matters worse, the colony had fallen on hard economic times, and the destitute citizens put little faith in the ESUN, much less its guard dog Preventer. The President arrived there to establish a working relationship with the colony. Now that was in shambles.

At 1:22 this afternoon, Vice Foreign Minister Darlian arrived at Preventer headquarters. The President hoped that she could do some damage control as Relena Darlian had a calming effect on people. However, Preventer was more concerned on keeping her out of harm's way. Commander Une sent orders to have her under constant surveillance, along with many of the other important officials. She called in several of the ex-Gundam pilots and asked Heero to personally ensure the VFM's security. Heero did so. Relena was in good hands. Not his hands, but she was safe nonetheless. Now Heero was free to remedy this mess.

One hour and twenty seven minutes ago Preventer received an anonymous tip about the bomber. The tip panned out. Preventer knew the location of the bomber, and possibly the gunman. What Heero couldn't understand though, was why Preventer wasn't doing anything about it.

Heero shouldered a duffle bag with all the gear he would need for the mission. Getting out of headquarters would be simple enough, and finding the target would be even easier. Quick and easy. As he opened the door to slip into the hall, he nearly collided with Vice Foreign Minister Darlian.

"Heero," she started, "where are you going?" She inquired noting his bag and jacket.

"Where's Trowa?" He asked bluntly. Relena was supposed to be under Trowa's supervision.

"Commander Une sent him elsewhere. Where are you going?"

"It isn't your concern." Heero moved to go past her but she blocked him.

"I'm not a fool Heero. You're going to find the bomber aren't you?"

He didn't respond, but gave her a questioning look.

"I have ears. I know about the tip. I also know that Commander Une and the other Preventer agents are dealing with it."

"I can't confirm that." He brushed past her. However, she dashed out in front of him again.

"Heero, stop. This won't solve anything."

"Once the information is returned and the culprit is eliminated, you and the rest of the ESUN's officials will be out of danger."

"Yes, I know, but this isn't the way to do it."

Heero glared down his nose at her. She was getting in his way. In fact, Relena Darlian did that quite often. Since the day he met her, all she did was get in his way. It seemed that recently whenever he was about to do something dangerous or potentially fatal, there she was, blocking his path, and forcing him to reconsider other options.

"Move." He growled.

"No." In one swift move, Relena reach around his waist and grabbed the handgun. Heero caught her wrist before she could pull it away from him.

"Let it go." He demanded.

"No."

"Relena—"

"No, Heero. I'm not going to let you go out there and shoot someone."

Heero took deep breath. Although Relena could never physically overpower him, she could very easily get him caught. He would have several agents on his ass before he even got out the front door.

"Heero, do you understand the situation we are in?" She asked

Of course he did. He wasn't a "fool" either.

"Do you understand how delicate our work has to be on this colony? One more incident and everything the ESUN has worked for here, everything I have worked for, will be ruined. Please, let the rest of Preventer handle it."

"I understand your concern. Trust me, I won't do anything to disrupt what you and the ESUN have done here. But one life is not worth the safety of the entire body of the ESUN's elected officials."

"What if it is your life!" Relena cried. "You don't know what this person is capable of, if it is even just one person. If you are killed, how will that make anything better?"

Why did she care? Heero had asked himself that question many times before. He didn't know why Relena thought that his life was so valuable. Up until he met her, he put little value on himself. He was a soldier, a weapon, and a dispensable one at that. Once his missions were over, there was no more use for him. But then along came this young, spoiled, ignorant girl who changed everything. She made him rethink his existence, and what his purpose was.

"Heero Yuy." Commander Une barked as she marched down the hall towards them. Immediately Heero released Relena's wrist while she simultaneously released the gun at his back. They stood a few feet from each other rapidly covering up their flared tempers.

"Vice Foreign Minister," Commander Une said politely to Relena. "I see you found your guardian. Your room is beside his. There is a connecting door on the interior."

Swiftly the woman unlocked the door of the room next to Heero's. After a quick inspection she gestured for Relena to enter. The politician thanked her and stepped inside. Commander Une allowed the door to shut quietly before turning and giving her agent an icy stare.

"Drop the bag."

Heero shrugged the duffle off. His superior approached him and extended her palm.

"The gun. Now."

The pilot pulled the gun from behind his back and set it onto her open hand.

"Heero, I understand what you were trying to do. We all wish we could do it. I know that she is important to you, and that you're angry that her life was put in danger. But did you ever consider why I assigned you to her?"

Her question was met with silence.

"We were betrayed. You are the only person I know I can fully trust to protect her."

While waiting for a reply, she unloaded the gun.

"I understand." He said.

"We are under a state of emergency. You will obey my orders. Am I understood?"

"Yes."

She shoved the empty handgun and clip to his chest. Her gesture was impractical. He would reload the gun the instant that she left, but the message was very clear. "Good."

The leader of Preventer then stalked back down the hall, leaving Heero standing awkwardly by his door. He inhaled and exhaled slowly before picking up the bag. Swiftly he reloaded the gun and tucked it into the back of his pants again. After briefly entertaining the idea of continuing his objective, he pivoted and went back into his room.

He didn't bother to turn the light on. Instead he systematically he began unpacking the bag by only the light coming in through the curtained window. Something about what Une said bothered him.

His reaction to the news of Relena's endangerment was stronger than most, but was he angry about it? Did Relena really have that much effect on his emotions? For years now, Heero was coming to terms with those pesky little things called feelings. The man didn't understand them, nor did he necessarily like them, but they were there, and they were not going away anytime soon. Perhaps it was time to admit that the girl he met on a beach five years ago meant a lot to him. Perhaps that was why he wanted to protect her.

With a sigh, he rose and went to the door that connected his room to Relena's. His hand briefly paused at the door before he knocked. A few moments later his ward answered. The warm light from her room flooded into his dark residence.

"Heero."

"Thank you, Relena."

"For what?"

"A long time ago I decided that I would never kill again. Thank you for stopping me from going back on that decision."

Relena smiled. "I just didn't want you to get hurt."

Heero nodded. Believing that to be the end of the conversation, she moved to close the door. However his hand stopped it.

"Relena…"

"Yes?" She looked very appealing in that single moment. Her cheeks were slightly flushed and her hair flowed down over her shoulders. There was only a single lamp illuminating her room. In the soft light her ivory skin seemed to glow.

Placing his hand on her cheek, he pulled her in and kissed her. His mouth lingered against hers for a moment. When they parted she blinked a few times to regain focus.

"Good night," he whispered.

"Good night." Relena then pulled back into the room.

"Relena." Heero called out again.

"Yes?" A smile played at the corner of her lips.

"Stay back from the windows." Heero told her firmly.

"Of course." Relena nodded and then gently closed the door.

Heero walked back to the bed and switched on his laptop. For the next few hours he poured over reports and up to date intel. He wasn't exactly privy to the information, but the security system was easy enough for him to hack. Sleep never visited him that night.

At 7:42 in the morning, Preventer agents detained a dozen men residing in a warehouse located in the underdeveloped part of the colony. In their possession were several crates of guns, explosives, ammunition, mobile suit parts, and a briefcase with a laptop containing classified information about the ESUN. A few hours later, Relena Darlian and the ESUN President gave formal addresses to the public, requesting support, cooperation, and patience while they helped stabilize the colony's economy and rebuild it's shuttle port.

At the end of the Vice Foreign Minister's speech, the crowd erupted into applause. Heero stood in their midst, watching the girl who made such a difference in his life.

AC 201, November

Relena scrubbed hard at her cheek with a damp paper towel. However, the more blood speckles she wiped away, the more she found hiding on her skin. Finally, she gave up the whole process and decided that a shower was the only way to completely rid her body of the crimson spots.

She deftly turned on the shower and tore her bloodstained clothes off. Only when the clothes were thrown into a bin did she inspect herself in the mirror. There was more blood on her than she originally thought. Her hands seemed permanently tinged red, even after she had viciously washed them in the sink. Glaring down at them she shoved them into the water first, grabbing the bar of soap and rubbing it between her palms. Then she methodically cleansed the rest of her body.

Once she was sure that her skin was pristine again, her muscles relaxed. They throbbed after hours of being tense. She ran her now clean hands over her long hair as the waters streamed down the locks. The spray of water was relaxing, comforting, numbing. Without anything absorbing her focus, Relena's thoughts drifted to how she got so bloody. A lump grew in her throat when she recounted the events. Her vision blurred, but she told herself that it was just the steam affecting her eyes. Even as she forced her tears to not fall, her lower lip betrayed her by quivering. Then like a chain reaction, a strangled sob escaped her. She stroked her hair repeatedly in some effort to calm herself, but it didn't work.

Finally, Relena covered her face with her hands and sobbed. Thankfully, with the shower going, no one could hear her cry.

Twenty minutes later she emerged from the bathroom in the complimentary white robe the hotel provided. She heard the sound of muffled voices. Walking out into the living room of the suite, she found Sally Po watching the television intently. Honestly, Relena would have preferred for Noin to be here, but Sally was a decent replacement.

The Preventer agent's expression was stern. She had the news on, probably trying to figure out how much trouble the media would cause.

"Vultures…" Sally Po muttered to herself before noticing that Relena had entered the room. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I'm still a bit shaken."

"I bet." There was something about Sally's gently, motherly nature that made Relena feel more comfortable than she had in the last few hours. She sat next to her guardian on the couch and caught a flash of the image on the screen before Sally turned it off. Unfortunately, she had already seen enough of it to trigger the memories of today's events.

Earlier that day, Relena was giving some comments to the press on the steps of the capitol building when one of her bodyguards abruptly shoved her to the side. His skull then exploded as a bullet passed through it. Blood and other substances Relena didn't want to think about splattered against her face. The crowd erupted into complete chaos. Still in shock, she hardly noticed when Heero Yuy grabbed her arm and began dragging her away from the steps with the rest of her security in tow. At that point Relena's body went on auto-pilot. She knew the planned security route by heart and kept up as her guards ushered her to the parking deck where her vehicle was. As they came close to the deck, another of her body guards fell to the pavement with a heavy thud. A thick red pool grew from under his chest.

Reasoning that the facility was compromised, Heero suddenly led them to a back alley on the other side of the building. A nondescript gray van came into view and before Relena or her guards could ask any questions, a Preventer agent swung open the back door. The instant they were inside, the agent slammed the door shut.

Inside Sally Po sat in front of an array of monitors. After a single look at Relena, she ordered the other agent, who Relena didn't recognize, to send a confirmation that the VFM was in their custody and rushed to her side. Sally thoroughly but quickly inspected the politician for any injuries. Dismissing the blood on her face, the medic then looked at the dark stain on Relena's suit. She gave the younger woman a puzzled look when she found that the politician was unharmed. The blood wasn't hers.

Heero slumped against the back of the van, leaving a large red smudge on the door. Despite Relena's insistence to take him directly to a hospital, they followed protocol instead and headed to the nearest Preventer base. The last time Relena saw Heero, an ambulance was taking him away from the headquarters.

"Please turn it back on." Relena requested to the agent next to her. Sally sighed and reluctantly flipped the television back to life.

On the screen was the same image as before. One lucky photographer captured the exact moment that the bullet hit the first guard's head. Relena was standing next to him, dark red covering the side of her face. The image was ghastly and the media had no qualms with repeatedly showing it.

"Gunshots were fired earlier today at the Capitol building where Vice Foreign Minister Relena Darlian was holding a press conference." The sharply dressed news anchor announced.

"It was hardly a press conference." Relena remarked absently.

"Two of the VFM's security guards were killed, one on the steps, and another by an adjacent parking deck. A third is currently in critical condition. Authorities have yet to release any information about the shooter. They have only stated that the Vice Foreign Minister is safe and unharmed. Our man out in the field—"

Sally again switched off the television. "You don't need to watch this. They're just milking the situation for all that it's worth."

Relena didn't respond and continued to watch the blank screen. The image of Heero leaning against the van door, blood dripping from his chest, burned itself deeper into her mind.

It seemed so wrong. All of it. Those men didn't have to die. Not like that, with their images flashing on the television every few minutes. God, what would she say to their families? How could she tell them that someone they loved was killed with a bullet meant for her?

If Heero died, who would she speak to? Who was his family? The people who knew him in the war? Relena liked to think that she was close enough to him to be categorized as "family" but she knew she wasn't. However, the death of Heero Yuy would probably affect her more than anyone else.

She felt a deep ache in her chest that threatened to suffocate her. It wasn't fair for Heero to die this way. He saved her life. In fact he had saved hundreds of lives, millions, over the years. Although his face wasn't broadcast on mega screens, and virtually no one knew him, he was just as important as she was. Without him, the world would not be as it is now. Actually, most of it wouldn't be there at all. So, wasn't that enough? Hadn't he fought and sacrificed enough to satisfy the Universe and earn a peaceful life?

"I hope you'll forgive me for my actions earlier." Sally's smooth voice broke through her thoughts.

Relena blinked and then looked at the older woman with a questioning expression.

"I know you wanted us to take Heero immediately to the hospital, but at the moment, your safety was more important."

"Oh." Relena didn't want to discuss it. While she bared no contempt for Sally's decision, she wasn't happy about it either.

"He's very important to you isn't he?" There was a hint of a smile on the agent's red lips.

"Yes." Relena answered softly. No matter how hard she tried to wave off her previous actions towards Heero as nothing more than an adolescent crush, everyone seemed to know her true feelings for him.

"I remember the first time that I met you. When you brought him to my hospital all those years ago, it was obvious that he was special to you. Who knew that the two of you would still be so close after everything that has happened?" Sally chuckled a bit.

Relena recalled bringing Heero to the hospital and her sassy conversation with Sally in the elevator. She cringed internally thinking about her poor attitude. It certainly wasn't the best first impression, but the kind Alliance doctor never commented about it.

"We weren't actually close." Relena confessed. "I had just followed him on one of his missions and happened to be there when he was injured. He probably thought that I was pretty annoying."

"Maybe. But if I remember correctly, it was only after you called out his name that he finally opened his parachute. You must have had some influence over him, even back then. He would not have survived that fall if you hadn't been there."

It had been a very long time since Relena thought about that day when Heero made his incredible escape from the Alliance hospital with the help of Duo Maxwell. Sally presented her with a perspective she had never considered. In Relena's opinion, Heero probably would have survived that fall whether she was there or not. Then again, Relena knew she had a rather skewed view of Heero's abilities.

"I suppose you're right." She agreed. However, that was over six years ago, and the circumstances were very different. "But now it's because of me that he's hurt."

"Knowing him, he wouldn't see it that way. We can ask him though if you want confirmation." Sally let out a gently laugh.

"Really?" Relena looked startled.

"Yup. The media may have labeled him in critical condition, but I have it on good authority that he's well enough to have visitors. Care for a trip to the hospital?" The blonde cocked her head to the side in an endearing fashion.

"Of course." Relena responded immediately.

Sally nodded and gestured for Relena to finish getting ready. She would cause an uproar if she entered Our Lady of Holy Virtue Hospital in just a bathrobe.

At the hospital, Relena walked quickly down the sterile white walls of the emergency ward following a stout male orderly. Every so often he would look over his shoulder to check if she was still with him, and to shoot a glance at the tall, blonde Preventer agent, trailing behind them. Apparently he liked what he saw. Relena ignored the man's obvious leering at Sally. All she could think about was seeing Heero. He risked his life for her, she could at least say hello.

They arrived at one of the many numbered doors. The orderly opened the door and allowed Relena in. She gave Sally a concerned look, not wanting to leave her with the man, but Sally just winked. No doubt she could take care of herself. Somehow she managed to work long hours with Wufei Chang. She could endure anything.

Once the door was closed, Relena braced herself to look at the wounded man who meant so much to her. However, in front of her was an empty bed with a partition separating it from another identical bed. She walked past the first and curiously pulled back the light blue medical curtain.

Heero was sitting up with one leg swung over the edge of the bed, obviously in the process of getting up. He was wearing hospital issued pants and a bandage was wrapped tightly around his shoulder and chest. From what Relena could see, he looked fairly healthy.

"The news said that you were in critical condition. They severely underestimated you." Relena stated with a bit of mirth. She swore that she saw him smirk in reply.

His shirt was folded on a chair beside the bed. She lifted it and set it in her lap as she sat down facing him. There was a long thick silence. Relena had been so focused on seeing him that she hadn't even thought of what to say. However, she also hadn't expected him to be conscious. Looking him over, he seemed very tired, but of course, ready to bolt. Relena had a suspicion that hospitals didn't sit well with Heero. His skin was blanched and his hair was messier than usual, if that was possible, however, his eyes were alert as ever. He seemed to be inspecting her as well.

"I was worried about you." She broke the silence.

"You shouldn't have been." He responded.

"I know." She let out a harsh laugh. "I should have expected you to be all right, but I was still very concerned."

"Don't worry about me Relena. You have more important things you should be concerned about." He said bluntly.

Relena was taken back by his words.

"Heero, you were shot. Your life was in danger. What was I supposed to be more concerned about?"

"Your own safety." Heero looked at her directly.

She just gave him a confused shrug.

"Relena, in the van you told them to bring me here. You argued with Sally about following the protocol that Preventer set for that sort of situation. Your life was still in danger, and by delaying the other agents from doing their jobs, you were putting both yourself and everyone in that van at risk. Our objective was to make sure that you were safe. You were our only priority. You still are. My life is nothing compared to yours. It never has been, and it never will be."

Relena was too stunned to say anything. Honestly, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. The last several hours had been filled with nothing but anxiety and grief, and all he could do was lecture her? For all she knew he could have been dying on a hospital table, or laid out in the morgue while she was getting washed up. No one had any information about him except for Sally, and after the shooting, Relena was practically imprisoned in her hotel room until further notice. He could have bled to death in the ambulance, and she would have never known. But this was the first thing he wanted to say to her? She resisted the urge to slap him.

"Don't ever say that to me." She said in an eerily hushed tone.

Suddenly Heero looked less self-assured.

"Don't ever tell me to not be concerned about you. You were bleeding in the back of a van, Heero. Did you honestly expect me to just sit back and follow protocol while you were dying?" Her voice became louder as she spoke. "Two men were killed. Two men that I knew and trusted with my life were lying dead on the street. You were so seriously injured that you could barely stand up. I thought that I was going to lose you too. I thought that once that ambulance took you away that I would never see you again. And you are really going to lecture me because your life means something to me?"

Large tears were forming at the corners of her eyes. Although she never liked to cry in front of anyone, right now she didn't care if she did. Actually, she wanted him to see her break down. She wanted him to feel guilty for devaluing himself so much. His life was more important to her than he would ever know. Perhaps if he saw how emotional she could get over him, he would begin to understand what he meant to her.

By now Heero was looking down at his feet with one hand in his mop of hair. However, Relena knew that it wasn't shame he was feeling. He had a habit of ignoring the things that she said, especially when it came to his safety. To make sure that he was paying attention, Relena placed a frustrated hand on his chin and tilted his face up. She waited patiently until his eyes met hers.

"Heero, you are important to me. I love you and I will always be concerned for you. I will always wonder where you are, and if you're safe. You mean so much to me, and that will never change."

After she spoke, all of her exasperation rushed out of her. She blinked and one of those large tears fell from her lashes down her cheek. Several more followed it. Tenderly she pressed her forehead against his.

"I know you were only protecting me, but I never asked you to. I never asked you to risk your life for me."

There was a quiet moment while she waited for him to refute her. But surprisingly, he said nothing.

Being so close, she could smell him. Plain soap, sweat, and that familiar smoky scent. Relena never grew tired of that smell. Her thumb ran lovingly along his cheekbone while her other hand rested on his opposite cheek. Holding his face gently, yet firmly, she inclined her chin and kissed him. For the first time, she allowed her self to savor the taste of his mouth. Her lips parted slightly to reposition themselves against his. He sighed and she felt the rush of his warm breath on her face. She pressed a little harder causing an involuntary groan to rise in her throat. At that point Relena pulled away with a sharp exhale. However, they remained close. His mouth was just too tempting. Relena slanted her head the other direction and left smaller, shorter kisses on his lips. Heero never made a motion to move away from her, so she simply continued.

Relena felt a small tug on her skull and noticed that Heero was fiddling a stray lock of her hair between his fingers. The affectionate gesture made her blush. Realizing that she didn't know how long she had been kissing him, she pulled away. He let the lock slip from his fingers.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so emotional." Relena said, settling back into the hospital chair. The lights of the clean room seemed brighter than when she first walked in. The temperature was also much warmer.

Heero just shrugged, as if completely unaffected by what just happened between them. Feeling embarrassed and more than a little flustered, Relena straightened her clothes and hair and then stood to leave.

"I'll come back and see you tomorrow."

He nodded and watched her move towards the door. Relena suspected that he would probably make his escape the instant that she was gone. With her hand on the handle she turned to look at him again.

"You will be here, won't you?"

He nodded again. Relena knew that he was lying, but she just smiled and exited the room.

Sally was waiting at the end of the hall, ready to escort her young charge back to the hotel. Apparently Relena's expression was betraying a bit of what she felt because Sally immediately gave her a cheeky smile.

"Did things go well?" she inquired.

For a moment Relena looked like a startled bird, but she quickly recovered.

"Yes. He was conscious and I was able to speak with him."

"That's good."

Suddenly, Relena remembered what exactly she had confessed to the injured man and let out a sharp gasp.

"Oh God," She groaned.

"What's wrong?" Sally asked.

"Nothing. I just…I think I just made a fool of myself."

Sally looked as though she wanted to question that statement further, but thankfully she let it go. Relena spent most of the car ride to the hotel avoiding her gaze and staring blankly into oblivion. She actually told Heero Yuy that she loved him. Spectacular.

Relena went to the hospital the next day as she promised. But as she expected, all she found was an empty hospital bed.

AC 202 March

The leaves of the tree over Heero's head fluttered in a fresh spring breeze. While the colonies had no true seasons, they were designed to at least emulate the annual climate changes. He was watching several dock workers unload a recent shipment from a massive cargo barge. Exactly 7 minutes and 42 seconds ago, his supervisor had ordered him to relax for a half an hour. It had something to do with the labor laws of the colony. Heero didn't mind, but the interruption was unwelcome.

From his boring spot in the shade of the artificially grown tree, Heero assessed the progress of his fellow workers, and where he would need to pick up when his break was over. Then, in his peripheral he spotted someone approaching him. A tall man in a sharp suit and dark glasses was striding towards him. Heero recognized him instantly.

"I have a message for you." Trowa Barton said plainly.

Heero just nodded. He didn't stand up.

"It's from Relena."

Involuntarily, Heero's body made a slight jerk. The tiniest hint of a smirk appeared on the tall man's face, and Heero had an odd feeling that Trowa was making fun of him.

"What about?" he asked flatly.

"An invitation to dinner."

This time Heero didn't hide his surprise. He knew that Relena was on the colony. Hell, he had unloaded her luggage when she arrived at the shuttle port. However, the message was much more casual than he expected.

"Since when did you start running personal errands for her?" Heero stood up as he made the verbal jab at his comrade.

"I'm only on her staff while she's on the colony. It's more of a personal favor, for Quatre."

"Oh. So how many of us are going to be at this dinner?" Heero asked suspiciously.

"Just the three of us. Duo had business at home to attend to and Wufei is on mission. Besides, it's not that sort of dinner. I'm sure you know that Relena and Quatre are on this colony to make a few speeches at the local university."

"I heard. She's done this before."

Trowa nodded knowingly. "It's some sort of symposium, but this dinner is part of it."

They fell into a comfortable silence as Heero considered what Trowa told him.

"I'm not a student." He finally said.

"As I said, this is a personal favor. You can attend or not. If you do, there will be a car waiting for you here at 6:15. The dinner is at 7:00. I suggest that if you decide to come, don't be late." With that, Trowa turned to stalk back across the shipyard.

"How did you know I was here?" Heero call to him.

The ex-Gundam pilot paused and looked back over his shoulder. "Quatre saw you unloading their luggage."

Heero nodded. Of course.

The car was where Trowa said it would be, and the ride to the hotels was surprisingly short, or perhaps it just felt short. Seeing Relena made Heero nervous. Maybe it was because of how their last conversations went. It had been five months since he'd been close enough to speak with her.

Soon after she left the hospital that day, he quietly snuck out and headed for the nearest shuttle port. Something about being stuck with needles and attached to machines with no escape route bothered Heero. Once he was back in the solace of anonymity, shuffling through the massive crowd of travelers, he expected to be able to carry in with his life as he always had. But his mind kept drawing back to that silent hospital room. Even through the roaring engines and noisy crowd at the space port, Relena's words still rang loudly in his head. She loved him.

His first question was, why? Heero never considered himself very lovable. From what he observed over the years after the war, people found him stoic, unapproachable, and somewhat frightening. He didn't make friends easily, mostly because he didn't want them, and he couldn't care less about the people that floated aimlessly in and out of his life.

So then why did Relena Peacecraft love him? What did she see in him that deserved her affection? The car stopped and the driver opened the door before he could figure out an answer.

Heero was dressed in a nice shirt and slacks, but as he entered the hotel ballroom he wondered if it wasn't formal enough attire. He didn't care about fashion, but he hated to stand out. It didn't make for easy mobility. However, his worry was relieved when he saw the students from St. Augustine Colonial University dressed similarly. Almost immediately he caught Trowa's gaze, and the circus performer led him passed security to a table.

The round cloth covered table was adjacent to but separated from Relena's. However, his seat allowed him to look directly at her throughout the dinner. When he sat down, almost immediately their eyes connected. She gave him a small smile and then returned her attention to the students around her. Briefly, Heero wondered what they had to pay to be seated at the same table with the Vice Foreign Minister.

To his left was a tall brunette in a dress that despite being demure showed off her legs very well. Every so often she would turn to him and ask something. He responded, because manners dictated that he do so, but he kept his focus casually on Relena. Everyone in the room did.

Heero had noticed the way Relena dressed before, but tonight he was especially interested. She was wearing a pale blue, rather simple dress that flattered her figure. Relena didn't need to wear ornate things to make her beautiful.

Beautiful? Heero wondered when he began labeling her with that adjective. Oh, right, approximately a second ago. He predicted that this would be a fairly long dinner.

After three hours, twelve minutes and forty-seven seconds the last of the students trickled out of the banquet hall. Heero observed that Relena had spoken to most of them, leaving those whom she hadn't been introduced to looking sullen and resentful. He made a mental note to swipe a guest list and do background checks. Rich children with loads of money and a bad grudge could cause a lot of problems.

His attention swiftly turned to Relena as she approached him. Her proximity made his body hum. While he tried to make a full assessment of her condition, he had trouble focusing on anything but her mouth. Not a night went by that he didn't think about the last time they kissed, or how much he wanted to again.

"I was afraid you wouldn't show up. I suspect Trowa gave you Quatre's message."

"Yes."

She nodded. They were silent for a moment just considering each other. Relena looked much more comfortable than Heero felt.

"You look a little bit thinner," she noted with a hint of concern.

He shrugged. Food intake wasn't currently an issue. "I have a new job," he suggested.

"Yes, Quatre told me he saw you. No teddy bears this time?" She asked playfully.

"No. It isn't your birthday."

She gave him an odd look as if trying to figure out if he was joking.

He would never tell.

Then she made a small shake with her head and let it go.

"Heero, would you mind escorting me to my suite?" She extended an arm towards the lobby where the elevator was located.

He nodded and then followed her. The lobby was thankfully void of people except for the attendant at the desk. She paid them no attention.

In the elevator Relena pressed a few buttons and Heero assumed that her suite needed an access code. He was pleased with the level of security. However being confined with her made him anxious. It wasn't the tight space, it was her. Yet she seemed completely unaffected by him. He disliked that.

Over the years Heero had accepted that Relena would always be important to him, that deep down he did care for her. He would even go so far as to consider her a friend, one of very few. He accepted the emotions she tended to stir in him, a natural side effect of being in her presence. While these emotions felt odd to him, he found some comfort in knowing that such feelings were not odd in average humans. It had taken years, but Heero making strides in deprogramming himself from the rigorous training Dr. J had put him through. He knew, for a fact, that Relena and a select few others played a large role in that deprogramming. It was why he felt the constant need to protect her. She'd given him purpose, something to live for after the war. Expressing those emotions, however, was much more difficult than accepting them.

The elevator finally dinged and soon after the doors opened to her suite. He allowed her to exit first, suppressing the urge to check her room for potential security breaches. He was a guest, not a guard.

"How do you like it here?" Relena asked.

"Do you mean the room or the colony?" He responded.

She chuckled. "The colony. I can vouch for the room though. It is very satisfactory." He followed her to the kitchenette and watched her pull a bottle of wine from the fridge.

"The colony is nice." He shrugged. It felt the same as any other the colony: artificial, regulated, familiar.

"Just nice?" Relena pried further.

Heero furrowed his brows. "Why am I here?"

Relena blinked at his bluntness. "Well, you do owe me a visitation. After all, you promised." The corners of her eyes crinkled slightly, a smiling face without the actual smile.

"I don't like hospitals," Heero admitted. Relena laughed in response.

"Neither do I, especially when you are in them. Wine?" She lifted the bottle.

He shook his head. "Haven't you already had a glass or two?"

"Were you counting?"

Heero studied the intricate pattern of the carpet.

"I see. Forgive me, but I just spent several hours trying to casually communicate with several bright young people my own age. It still surprises me how difficult that can be." Sadness laced in the edges of her voice, intertwined with self-mocking. Relena could move the entire human population with a simple sentence, but struggled when conversing with other young twenty-somethings about normal life. Heero could empathize. Although, he found conversing with anyone on everyday subject matter uncomfortable.

"They seemed to appreciate whatever you said," he assured her.

"They were being polite." Relena poured herself a glass. "Did you know that the highest grossing actor in the world has seven adopted children with his partner? All war orphans apparently. And their clothing is all handmade and completely organic. I wonder why I've never met them." She mused.

Heero had nothing to comment on the matter.

"And did you know that the youngest billionaire in the world only drinks spring water from a specific region in Alaska?"

"Why?"

"Because he can. I haven't met him either, though I'm told he's quite unpleasant. I suppose one doesn't become that wealthy by being kind." She sipped contemplatively.

"I thought Quatre was the youngest billionaire in the world."

"No, this man beats him by three months. Have you ever heard of a show called One Seven Five? It's a political drama centered around the assassination of…well," she gestured at him.

"Yes."

"You have?" Relena seated herself on the couch, curiosity playing on her face. "I hadn't. How had you heard of it?"

"My roommate used to watch it." He sat beside her, leaving a respectable distance between them.

"You have a roommate?" She was shocked.

"I had one when I was in college."

"You went to college?"

"For eighteen months."

"Why did you stop?"

"I completed the required hours. Afterwards there wasn't much else for me to do there."

For some reason, Relena smiled. She found something about his statement amusing, and Heero couldn't decide if he wanted to know.

"I wish I could have gone to a university, sat in lecture classes, studied in the library, that sort of thing." She ran the tip of her finger along the lip of the glass. "Did you attend any parties?" An impish light flashed in her eyes.

"Yes."

"Did anything particularly interesting happen at these parties?" She scooted slightly closer, obviously enrapt in the idea of college parties.

"Yes."

She watched him with those brilliant blue eyes, waiting for him to continue. Heero enjoyed holding her gaze, his short, vague answer suspended between them.

"Such as…" Relena encouraged.

"Interesting things." He finally answered.

She frowned and sat back against the cushion. "Don't worry Heero; I will get it out of you one day. That is a promise." She took another drink of the wine.

The city sparkled just on the opposite side of the massive glass windows. Double paned and bullet proof. Heero confirmed it before arriving that evening. From this height, the view was spectacular, the arching city curving high in the distance. While very different from Earth, the colonies were beautiful in their own right. They were monuments to human intelligence and perseverance. Humans had conquered the stars. Heero had never really felt pride in being from the colonies, but in that moment he understood why some people did.

Relena sighed. Heero turned his head, running his eyes along her noble profile. He was remarkably at ease now sitting beside her.

"Did you mean what you said at the hospital? That you love me?" Heero asked boldly. He saw her visible stiffen. Perhaps without the wine Relena could have covered her reaction better.

"Yes. I did. I still do…love you, I mean." Relena sighed and took a long sip from the wine glass in front of her and then set down on the low table in a definitive manner. "That wasn't very eloquent at all, was it?"

"You've had a few drinks. I don't expect you to be eloquent." Heero replied.

Relena seemed pleased with his answer. However, Heero was still very curious about what her feelings were towards him.

"Why?" He asked seriously.

"Why what?"

"Why do you love me?"

Relena paused, thinking over her response this time.

"I think it is because you understand me. You understand aspects of my life that others can't."

There was a heavy silence between them as they both tried to understand what she was saying.

"I didn't have a normal childhood. Neither did you." Relena spoke again. "You understand what it is like to grow up faster than you should have to."

"You love me because I understand you." He reiterated.

Relena laughed quietly. "There is more to it than that, but essentially yes."

"Relena, I don't understand you, at all." Heero admitted frankly. "I don't think I ever have."

"So are you telling me that my feelings for you are just a fantasy?"

"No. I think you believe they are real, but your reasons for them are not."

"I see." There was a clever little smirk at the corner of Relena's mouth that puzzled Heero. Once again, she was reacting to him in a way that was completely unexpected. He decided to swing the conversation in another direction.

"When did you start loving me? Was it when we kissed the first time?"

"No. Honestly, I'm not sure when it was."

"Then how did you know?"

"How did I know that I was in love with you?"

"Yes. How did you know that what you were feeling wasn't something else?" Heero would only continue to ask questions until he found a satisfying answer. So far what she said only confused him more. Relena shift on the couch, lifting her knees to her chest.

"It's difficult to say Heero." She answered. "But when you were shot, I remember being so frustrated with you when you told Sally that you would rather follow protocol than save your own life. And when I went to see you at the hospital, I was surprised that you were conscious, much less moving around. I guess I thought that I would walk in and you would just be lying there attached to machines and whatnot. I would speak to you about everything you meant to me and you would listen quietly. But we both know that isn't what happened. You lectured me because I didn't want to follow orders. And I was frustrated with you all over again. Actually, I wanted to slap you."

Heero's mouth quirked upward. He was pretty sure that Relena was about to go against he policy of total pacifism and kill him when he spoke to her in the hospital room.

"I realized that day that I didn't want you to die for me. I didn't want you to have the burden of my life on your shoulders anymore. I just wanted you to be alive. I just wanted you to still have that chance to experience whatever else life had in store for you. We both fought for so long to give that opportunity for everyone else, it only seemed fair that you should have that too." The cushion bent beneath Relena as she came closer to him, wrapping her slim fingers around his calloused hand. "I felt so strongly for you Heero, at that moment. It was the first time I was ever able to admit, even to myself, that what I felt for you was love. Real love. This isn't about me. It's about you. What matters most is that you have the same chance to start over, to be free to live as you choose. I want it for you, and I sense that you want it too."

It was certainly an answer. Heero suspected that he wouldn't receive a clearer one from her, so he tried his best to process her words. He wanted, but couldn't find a way, to explain why she needn't worry about his future, why it wasn't her concern. As long as he could protect her then he was satisfied. He didn't need anything else from her. Not her concern, nor her love. Nothing else other than her prolonged existence in this world.

Right?

His brain felt like it might explode.

He focused on her hand, warm and soft against his palm. She was sitting so closely that he could hear her breathing softly. Actually, he could even feel her breath on his shoulder. She was waiting so patiently for him to respond. Her posture was prim naturally, but relaxed; her professional façade completely gone. There was no need for it around him. Maybe, just maybe, he could drop those last remnants of the thick walls others had built up around his humanity, his self worth, just for her.

"Heero, it is okay if you don't return my affections. I understand."

One look at her was all it took. Instantly Heero knew that it didn't matter if he needed her. What mattered was if he wanted her. He wanted her in his life, by his side, within his ability to protect. He wanted to know that she was just as devoted to him as he was to her, that her very existence was dependant on his. It seemed like a selfish and foolish desire, but suddenly he didn't give a damn. Of course, Heero had no way of expressing this verbally. So he did the only romantic thing that he knew how to do.

He kissed her. However, not the soft, quick, polite kisses of their past. Cradling the base of her skull in his hands, he crushed his mouth to hers, until her lips parted, allowing his tongue access. His sudden movements made her yelp in surprise. Feeling the inside of her mouth was odd and wonderful. Her tongue slid against his almost automatically. It was slick but delicious.

She made these wonderful little noises and her fingers curled in his hair. Eventually those fingers traveled down his neck and to the collar of his shirt, pulling him closer to her. He found the feeling of her body pressed up against his extremely pleasurable. So when she stopped and stood from the couch abruptly, he growled.

Relena let out a gentle laugh and stroked his cheek reassuringly. He followed her up and closed the distance between them. Delicately, Relena began undoing the buttons of his shirt, placing small kisses on his neck. Heero sighed involuntarily. Pleasure was still relatively new to him. He had felt pain many times in his life. Broken bones, bullet wounds, and bloody noses were old friends of Heero's. Pleasure, on the other hand, was novel, surprising, especially physical pleasure. Once one looked past all the years he spent doing super human, seemingly impossible things, Heero was just another human. He had human needs, like oxygen, water, and sustenance, and despite what many people thought, Heero in fact did feel. He had desires. Comfort, safety, human interaction, and yes, sensual pleasure were all desires that, although buried deep in Heero's psyche, he did indeed have. It just took more provocation to unearth them. However Relena had a particular knack for it. His breath hitched when Relena's kisses became less polite. He lifted his chin, giving her more access to the sensitive skin of his throat.

She slid her hands up his chest and he shrugged the shirt off. They stood apart as Relena admired his bare torso. Always on the leaner side, Heero's muscles were taught and sinewy, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. They twitched beneath Relena's fingers, unaccustomed to such gentle touches. Finally, he pulled her back to him, suddenly wanting to taste her neck too.

They floated towards the bedroom, neither truly leading. Heero understood fairly quickly what her undressing him implied. He knew the mechanics, and to the best of his knowledge, it worked better without clothing. Her dress was surprisingly easy to unzip. It made a soft rustling noise as it puddle by their feet.

They continued to kiss, touch, and in general just enjoy each other for some time. Whenever they parted, Heero kept his lips close to Relena's, waiting impatiently for her to close the gap between them. Relena's hands were gliding across his back, feeling his strong muscles. Heero hands roamed curiously. She was soft, feminine, curving in all of the right places. Suddenly she pulled away.

"We can't do this," she told him.

His jaw visible clenched.

"I'm sorry Heero, I don't usually do this with someone I'm not in a relationship with."

Heero felt stung by that statement. He and Relena didn't have a romantic relationship, but they certainly had a relationship, whatever it was.

"All right." He answered. There really wasn't anything else to say. Gently Relena detached herself from him. However, she only went so far before her legs bumped into the edge of the bed.

Heero watched her stand awkwardly in front of him. There was no protocol for what to do in this situation. His body felt warm and frustrated from their abrupt separation and she was still standing too close to not be a temptation. As she breathed, weighing her options he supposed, her ivory breasts rose and fell irresistibly. He exhaled loudly waiting for her to decide whether she wanted to do this or not.

"Have you ever done this before?" Relena asked arbitrarily.

Heero considered her random question for a moment before responding.

"I've never found myself in this situation." He answered.

"Oh."

Heero couldn't read her tone exactly, but it didn't sound promising. With one syllable she made him feel more inadequate than anyone ever had. There was Relena Peacecraft in nothing but her bra and underwear and she was rejecting him because he was…inexperienced? This was so confusing.

"Have you?" He asked calmly. Since his sexual experience was been laid out on the table, hers might as well be too.

"Yes." She answered diplomatically.

"Christof?" He inquired further with a hint of distain. Since Relena's relationship with the Russian ended, Heero came to the conclusion that what he felt for the socialite wasn't simply indifference. He flat out didn't like the guy.

"No, Ian." Relena answered coolly. She didn't seem perturb at all by his investigation into her intimate affairs.

"I didn't suspect him." Heero stated.

"No, I supposed not." She seemed to think over his conclusion. Then she shook her head and looked at him with a perplexed expression. "Why does it matter?" She asked.

"Why does my previous experience matter?"

"It doesn't."

"Then why did you ask?"

"I just wanted to know."

"Why?

"I don't know I just did."

"Why?"

"I don't know!" Relena burst out at him. "I guess I was just looking for a reason for us to not do this."

"And that would be a good reason for you?" Heero asked honestly.

"No, of course it isn't." She mumbled.

Heero watched her become very vulnerable at that moment. Her luminous blue eyes connected with his.

"Oh Heero, if we did this I would want you to stay with me. I'd never want to let you go. But I couldn't ask that of you. It's too selfish."

A small wave of relief washed over Heero. Her hesitation was reasonable, but the fears behind it were unfounded.

"What if I want to stay with you?" He asked her quietly, his body drifting close to hers again. Relena let out a harsh laugh and rested her forehead against his shoulder. Eventually she relaxed, her body melting against his. He felt her hands slide around his sides and up his back again. He returned her embrace. Tilting his head down, he ran his cheek along hers until their mouths were adjacent. He nudged her with his chin and she lifted her face. Then he kissed her again and hoisted her up in his arms.

They pulled apart briefly to look at each other. If either of them had any further objections, now was the time to voice them. However, neither said anything, and they tumbled happily onto Relena's bed.

AC 203 May

The high sharp hisses alerted Relena of eminent danger. Crouching around the corner, she was plucking up the courage to face this newest villain. She had faced death threats, gun barrels, vicious politicians, equally vicious military personal, kidnapping, and near annihilation, she could handle anything. But one look and Relena knew, without a doubt, that she would not face this. Not alone at least.

She walked briskly down the hall and rapped her knuckles on the third to last door. Inside there was a series of quiet noises of someone moving around before the door opened.

"What's wrong?" Heero asked taking immediate notice of her expression. She looked tense but controlled as usual. However, there were those slight movements in her brows that gave her away.

"There is an intruder in my bathroom that I want eliminated."

Heero reached for the gun at his side and began to brush past her, but she caught his arm.

"No, it isn't that sort of intruder."

He paused and raised a brow at her.

"It?"

They both stood next to her bathtub looking down at the beetle like insect sitting on her otherwise perfect tile floor. Heero couldn't help but feel a little ridiculous. He was certain that any one of Relena's shoes could have done the job.

"You interrupted my work for a bug?" He asked blandly.

"It is a cockroach, and yes I did. That thing is two inches long; I wasn't going to go after it myself." She crossed her arms defiantly.

His expression softened slightly as he looked at her. Relena hated that gentler look. It made him more difficult to argue with.

"It hissed at me." She added quietly.

The smallest of smiles appeared on his lips.

"Should I remove it outside?"

"No just kill it." Relena answered offhandedly. She was still embarrassed by her lack of bravery.

Heero tried his best to feign surprise. He wasn't a very good actor.

"I thought that you were a pacifist."

"There are exceptions to everything. Besides, do you have any idea how many disease those things carry? They're unsanitary." Nothing would change her decision. She glared down at the roach triumphantly. That was her final judgment.

It took a few steps towards her. Although she was sure that it was probably just randomly moving, she receded farther from the tub. God knows what those things are really thinking. A small chuckle brought her attention back.

"Relena, it's only a bug." Heero shrugged. Obviously she was making a much bigger deal of this than it needed to be. Relena resented the condescension in his tone.

The bug emitted a short hiss in Heero's general direction. His expression instantly changed as he glowered at the roach as if it had insulted him. Efficiently, he unlaced his boot and slammed the heel down on the repugnant insect.

Relena beamed happily at Heero. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He lifted the boot.

The large black bug scuttled towards Relena's toes. With a yelp, she bolted from the bathroom and leapt onto the bed, which wheezed beneath her weight. A series of loud thuds emanated from the bathroom as Heero went after the roach viciously. Relena stood clinging to the vertical rod of the canopy bed, and watched his silhouette. Finally the pounding stopped and moments later Heero emerged victorious.

"Target eliminated." He strode proudly towards her.

"Well done," Relena nodded approvingly.

Heero looked at her with an amused expression. Only then did Relena realize how ridiculous she must appear, perched on her bed like a frightened child. She cleared her throat and straightened her dress. "That is all. You may return to your work." She flicked a hand at him, trying to hide her embarrassment. It was only a bug after all.

However Heero remained in her room. In fact he came the rest of the way to her bedside and stood just beneath her. She crossed her arms primly as if there was nothing peculiar about her position.

Suddenly his hands clasped behind her knees and yanked them forward. She plummeted backwards into the soft embrace of the comforter, bouncing with the mattress. The hem of her dress fell up her thighs, bunching at her hips. Before she could make herself decent again, Heero was on top of her, caging her in with one arm on either side of her shoulders. She blinked at him, her eyes refocusing onto his face only inches from hers.

He chuckled.

She frowned. "Are you making fun of me?"

"No. Sometimes you just act so human."

"I am human."

"I forget. You're always so fearless."

"Except when it comes to bugs and other creepy crawly things. Then I need you to protect me."

"I know. It's why I love you."

A tingling sensation spread all over Relena's body. This wasn't the first time he'd spoke those words, or others similar phrases, but he said them so rarely that each time was incredibly special to her. Her teeth bit her lower lip when she blushed. Heero brought his face closer.

He was in need of a haircut; several long strands fell against her forehead. She blew upward causing Heero to briefly turn his face away. She took the opportunity to reach up and kiss his cheek. He returned the favor on her forehead. Relena wanted nothing more than to pull him down completely, melding the length of their bodies together. Inexplicably, she loved the feeling of his full weight on her body. She simply felt so feminine when they were pressed against one another. They were perfectly matched ratios. Hips and shoulders aligned, as if they were designed for each other. At least, that was how Relena perceived it.

Then, without warning, he moved away, probably to finish whatever work she'd interrupted. However, Relena was not ready to let him go. He'd tossed her into such a provocative position and then was about to leave her wanting. Such a tease.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Stay," she said. It wasn't a command, nor was it a plea. It was a request. And Heero couldn't refuse.

He stretched out beside her, creating the perfect angle for her to curl against his chest.

"I will always stay." He whispered in her ear. She sighed, folding her arms around his neck. Then she leaned in and kissed him, one of so, so many, each one better than the last.