Much thanks to my MUM for helping with this fic, her favourite book happened to be one that had the perfect excerpt for this.
I do not own Relena, Axel, The Prophet, or Kingdom Hearts. If I did, I'd grow mad with power fairly quickly.
...
Relena's legs were crossed beneath her, Axel's fingers gently resting on her ankle, tapping on it lightly. She gingerly held a battered copy of The Prophet, trying to find an adequate excerpt for him. Axel smiled with each turn of the page, watching her mouth the words before a dismissive look registered on her face and she turned the page. He wouldn't mind if she spent all night page turning, laying on her bed and watching her was good enough for him. The only reason he was letting her subject him to a book reading was because he didn't 'appreciate fine literature'. He probably wouldn't let her get away with it except for his feelings for her.
Axel scowled, wrenching himself out of that train of thought. Relena didn't seem to notice, her bangs blocking her view of him. Here, with her, he could almost completely distance himself from his alliance. That's what it was.. the companionship. The only thing that worried him was her caring too much for him. .. He wouldn't be able to return it..
Guilt twisted in his stomach with impeccable timing, as Relena bounced lightly on the bed, snapping him from his trance. He smiled weakly at her as she laid back, slowly following the curve of his body and moved into his arms, her back to him. The Prophet in her hands, Relena let out a happy sigh.
"You found one?" He asked, cautiously laying his hand on her shoulder, fiddling with the stray strands of light hair that had made their way down.
"Mmhm," she replied. "You ready?"
"Shoot."
"'There is nothing left except your soul- so please judge me with justice- which is your glory- or call death upon me. You have burdened me with love I cannot handle. I am weak in regard to material things.'" Relena's voice was deepened with a kind of reverence for the text, and Axel listened, taking in as much as he could understand. Anything dear to her must be important, he thought. He reminded himself to stop teasing Zexion about his own fondness for books.
"'She lying on the throne on the mountain showed me happiness. You and Happiness are above the mountain. I and misery are in the depths of the valley. Will the high meet the low?'" The last words were uttered in a tone which Axel had never heard Relena use. Or perhaps he never listened.
"You aren't asleep, are you?" Axel smirked, a tone he knew too well accompanying those words.
"You thought I wouldn't listen?"
Relena fidgeted slightly, and Axel loosened his hold on her, thinking she wanted to move. Instead, she turned her head back to face him.
".. Not really. Did you?"
"Of course," his striking eyes were sincere, and he moved his hand over to stroke her jaw carefully. She closed her eyes, and Axel's eyes widened as she rolled over, moving her leg over his and pulling him close to her. Relena opened her eyes again, searching his own for some kind of reaction.
"Uh." Until now he had been fairly unresponsive, in a kind of shock. "Relena?"
"Don't stop me," she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder.
The guilt twisted within him again as he watched Relena drift off into sleep, and he slowly placed his arms around her in an attempt to banish it. It seemed to work - the warmth of her body soothed him, and a calmer feeling replaced the shame. It was a kind of happiness, but ..
Kissing her forehead lightly, Axel whispered under his breath to her.
...