Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing

Hidden Love

Chapter One:

Flashback

(One year after the Mariemaia incident)

"Relena, I don't love you!"

"Who do you love Heero, if not me?" Her tears were falling like waterfalls now.

"I love Hilde."

Relena's world crumbled the moment he said her best friend's name. "It's not fair!"

End flashback

Relena was brought back to the present, being three years after the Mariemaia incident, by a knock at her door. "Come in."

"Rel, how you doing?"

She smiled as Duo showed a shaky but solid smile. He had gone through the same thing she had when Hilde told him she loved Heero. After that she and Duo had clung to each other for strength and they had become each others best friends, since their former best friends had become lovers. "I've been better. Duo, what's wrong?" She knew after two years exactly how to read his actions.

"I never have been able to keep something from you, have I Rel?"

"Not for very long. You can tell me Duo."

He stood in front of her desk thinking the best way to word it. "Quatre told me that Hilde & Heero are getting married in two months."

She instantly put on her politicians smile, but no matter how hard she tried to fight them her tears ran down her cheeks. Duo instantly ran around the desk and pulled her into his arms. "Shh…I know. We'll be okay. Rel, you & I are stronger & much better off now. We'll show up & show them that we can be happy without them." By the end of his comfort speech he was crying like she was and she was holding him in her arms as well.

A soft knock of the door made them both jump. "Who is it?" Relena asked.

"It's Quatre, may I come in?"

"Of course dude."

Quatre walked in to find that both of them had tear stained cheeks. He instantly went to Relena and she welcomed his embrace, starting a second wave of tears.

"It's alright, Rel." He spoke soft words of comfort in her ear until her tears stopped & he realized she was so emotionally exhausted from the news that she had fallen asleep in his arms. Quatre smiled at her sleeping form and looked at Duo. "Would you like to carry her to her room as we talk?"

"Sure."

Once they were in Relena's bedroom, Quatre shut the door behind them & Duo tucked her in between her light pink silk sheets and her black goose down comforter. Duo stood next to her bed & gazed on her beautiful form, focusing on her face. 'How could someone give up such a beautiful angel?' he wondered to himself.

Quatre voiced that same thought out loud.

Duo responded, "Who knows, but we're not just talking about anybody. It was that emotionless bastard, Heero Yuy." He had not meant for his anger to show through in his tone.

"Yes, even after Rel tried for five years to get him to see that emotions aren't a weakness, he stayed the stone-faced 'perfect soldier'. Heero really was heartless when it came to Rel. Damn him." Quatre was angry at the thought of each time Heero saw Relena during the A.C. 195 war and how he would constantly try to verbally push her away during the past four years. "Zechs is still bent on strangling Yuy for treating Rel like that."

"Yeah, he's finding it easier to be the protective big brother now that there's not a war going on." Duo remembered the first time Heero was assigned as Relena's bodyguard. Zechs had crossed the room at Preventers HQ & punched Heero's left cheek with so much force that Heero stumbled a few feet. Zechs had then said "That's just a sample of what I'll do to you if you don't keep her perfectly safe." He then proceeded to stalk out of the room and leave Lady Une, Relena, Hilde, Sally, & the other gundam pilots, including Heero, stunned beyond belief. Relena then proceeded to bust out in giggles & explained that Zechs was still in the learning stages of how to be a big brother.

"It's kinda funny how you & Wufei are her bodyguards now. She feels safest when she's with the two of you, and you and Rel provide emotional strength for each other."

"Yeah…hey, wait, I thought she always felt safest around Heero?"

"Nope, she told me herself. Wufei admitted that she feels so safe when he's around that she'll actually let him pick her up out of her desk chair, with a little playful arguing of course, and carry her to her bed when he thinks she should get some sleep."

"Wow, so the Wu-man actually gets along with Rel. Who knew? Looks like miracles really can actually happen." Duo was already planning on how to gently tease Wufei about it when they switched shifts in half an hour.

"Duo, you shouldn't tease him. You know that could ruin their relationship."

Duo realized that Quatre was right. Anytime Wufei got teased about something his attitude towards that certain something became the complete opposite of before. "Alright. Hey, do you realize we've been standing over Rel during this whole conversation?"

Quatre blinked & blushed slightly. "Maybe we should move to the adjoining sitting room & just leave the doors to her room open so we can keep an eye on her."

Duo studied the blushing Quatre & got a big grin on his face. Once they were sitting in plush chairs of Relena's sitting room, Duo whispered "You have a crush on her."

Quatre's blush deepened. "I just care for her. Like a sister."

"Yeah, like you need a thirtieth sister, hehehe." Duo was enjoying the embarrassed look on Quatre's face.

Just then, Wufei walked into Relena's bedroom &, not even noticing Duo & Quatre, went over to Relena's bedside, took her hand in his, kissed it & returned it onto her bed.

"Wu-man?" Duo said as he & Quatre blinked to make sure they hadn't imagined that & were wracking their brains for something to say.

Walking over to the sitting room, & without even a blush on his face, joined the others. "My name is Wufei. What do you want Maxwell?"

"What…was that?"

"That was the sign she & I agreed on to let her know I was on duty if she's already asleep by the time I get here."

"Does she really feel the…?

Duo couldn't finish because he was interrupted by Relena, who sat up in her bed.

"Wufei?"

"Yes Len?" He smiled at her.

She smiled back & leaned back on her pillows to go back to sleep.

"…" Duo & Quatre were both very confused at what had just taken place.

"That was the conformation that I really am here. That obviously answers your earlier question Duo."

"And I gather you've nicknamed her Len?"

"Yes, Maxwell."

Quatre & Duo sat in stunned silence looking at Wufei. They turned to look at each other & smiled to each other & as they turned back to Wufei they were still smiling.

"You can tease me all you want. I will continue to watch over Len in my own way & I will not stop anytime soon, unless she personally tells me to." Wufei sat glaring at the two smiling pilots. He meant what he had said. Relena meant too much to him to let a little teasing get in the way of being with her & protecting her.

Duo & Quatre's eyes widened ever so slightly at Wufei's comment.

"That's makes it no fun for me now." Duo complained and gave his best puppy-dog face which made Quatre chuckle.

Their attention was shifted to Relena's room when they all heard her get out of bed and walk towards them. She sat on the couch next to Wufei & rested her head on his shoulder. "Len, you should be sleeping." He smiled at her while wrapping his arm around her shoulder even as he said it.

She looked up & smiled in return. "You guys are having very interesting conversations. I wanted to hear more than just bits & pieces of them."

Quatre & Duo instantly blushed, hoping that she hadn't heard their conversation by her bed.

"Especially the talk you two had before Wufei got here. I was only half asleep from being emotionally drained this afternoon. I fell truly asleep as Quatre was suggesting that you should move into the sitting room." She smiled a true smile at them both as they sheepishly grinned & began to blush even more.

"Would you care to enlighten me Len, on why they are grinning & blushing like that?" Wufei was very curious to what was making them act so.

"They were simply saying that they couldn't believe how Heero could let me go & how he was & is a heartless, emotionless bastard."

"Do you agree with their views?"

"Yes & no. He obviously has a heart & has emotions if he loves…her." She choked when she found she couldn't say Hilde's name, it was just too painful. "But, he is a bastard for dropping me so easily. That son-of-a-bitch won't get the enjoyment of seeing me being depressed."

Duo & Quatre's jaws dropped. They were shocked that Relena knew such language & that she used it so freely, but they soon got over it since it was used to describe Heero.

Wufei wasn't shocked at all. She'd always felt comfortable enough to cuss in front of him because he didn't care for her fake political mask. He cared for the real her, that & the fact that she never cussed at & never even talked bad about himself. "I agree that he was a bastard for not caring more about your feelings when he let you go. If he's that selfish he didn't deserve you."

Relena looked up into Wufei's onyx eyes & started to tear up. Duo & Quatre took this as a sign that it was time to say their goodbyes & slip out the door into the hallway so that Wufei & Relena could be alone. But don't think that just because they were out in the hallway they weren't gonna listen in on the conversation. They simply proceeded to eavesdrop. Once they had left, Wufei was the first to say something.

"Len, what do you see when you look me?"

She smiled shyly, but never dropped her eyes from his gaze. "I see a strong warrior who has lost & gained much over the last five years. I see a man who has grown from the boy I first met four years ago. You've proven you're as skilled in literature as you are at martial arts. I see a man that is a person I can always count on."

He was stunned. She had him pegged throughout her whole description even though they hadn't met once during the war in A.C. 195. He smiled a comfortable and real smile at her.

Before he could say anything, she asked him "Wufei, what do you see in me?"

He blushed slightly, but kept her gaze. "I see a woman who has maturity beyond her years. I see a determined woman who knows how to get what she wants when she wants it. I see an intelligent young woman who hardly gets a day for herself because she cares so much about maintaining the peace she has helped achieve. I see a woman who is worthy to be called my equal."

Relena couldn't believe he had just called her his equal. She smiled as he leaned down & kissed her.

Meanwhile in the hallway:

"Wow. That was the shock of a lifetime." Duo was still letting the conversation sink in.

"Yeah."

"You're not bummed, are you Quatre?"

"Nope, I'm actually planning on getting engaged this month. I also believe that I told you I cared for her like a sister, if I'm not mistaken."

"Don't tell me who you're getting engaged to just yet. I don't think I can handle another surprise right now."

"Okay Duo."

"We've gotta move. They're coming out."

"Pretend we were talking on the stairs while doing outside guard duty."

"Great idea."

They were sitting on the top steps talking when Relena & Wufei came out.

"Hey guys! What's the matter?" Duo was looking at the weird smiles on both Relena and Wufei's faces.

"Nothing, Maxwell. We've simply decided to get married the day before Heero & Hilde do." Wufei paused to glance down at Relena, who was looking like she was floating on cloud nine.

"We came out to see if you two would like to come with us to pick out the rings." Relena smiled & she looked at peace with herself for the first time in three long years.

"We'd love to come with you guys!" Duo & Quatre answered in unison with no surprise in their voices, since they had heard the conversation.

"So you were eavesdropping! I thought so!" Wufei laughed at the two who realized that they were caught red-handed.

"Great let me get changed & we'll get going. Oh, Quatre could you call Leslie at The Jewelry Co. & ask her to keep the store open for us?"

"Sure."

"Thanks a lot. Oh, Wufei and I want it kept a secret that he's the groom until he stands at the end of the isle. We want to see Trowa, Heero, and Hilde's faces." 'It doesn't hurt to say her name.' Relena thought.

"Okay." Duo and Quatre said in unison.