I Love You
Copyright Nov. 2000,
Purple Hays Publishing Co.Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, its characters, or "I Love You", and I don't claim to. All I own is the story. (Although I wish I owned Duo... ^_^)
Relena looked out at all of the world leaders seated before her. There was a large group today. More than she had ever spoken in front of before. She reached for her water glass and took a quick sip, while consulting her notes. This speech was perhaps the most important one she had delivered to date, among the hundreds she had given since taking up her position as Vice Foreign Minister a year and a half ago. She took a deep breath and continued.
"Since the defeat of Mariameia Khushrenada and the death of Dekim Barton, there have been no more major rebellions. But, that does not mean the potential for rebellion has been totally eradicated. This time of peace may only be temporary. In order to prolong this peace for generations to come, we must be sure that all weapons, namely the mobile suits, be completely destroyed forever. That is my wish."
She paused for a breath, but the thunderous applause that shook the room cut her off from continuing. She smiled out at them, acknowledging their approval. During this lull, a slight movement caught her eye. She quickly turned to see... nothing more than a shifting curtain. On the outside, this may seem nothing out of the ordinary, but inside, she knew. *So, you're watching me again, are you, Heero?*
It had been three months since the end of the Barton Revolution. The world was quickly moving toward a permanent peace, something she had dreamed about ever since the day her father was assassinated. She had been working nonstop, giving talks to residents of Earth and the colonies, to help unite them again. Every word she spoke seemed to bring the Earth Sphere closer to pacifism. And every word she spoke, Heero was somewhere nearby to hear it.
***************
Heero ran out of the building as fast as he could, until he reached his car outside the conference center. He jumped inside, stuck the keys in the ignition, and slammed the accelerator to the floor, flying out of the parking lot and onto the highway. He cursed himself. "Dammit! I'm such a baka! Why do I always have to do this!? How many times have I put myself through this, only to run away!?... I'm such a baka..." A tear slowly ran down his face as his car screamed down the highway.
***************
I have a smile
Stretched from ear to ear.
I see you walking down the road.
We meet at the lights,
I stare for awhile,
The world around us disappears.
***************
Relena sat in her hotel room. The conference was over, and it was a complete success. She had managed to convince three more countries to destroy their MS's. It was a small accomplishment, but any progress was welcomed. She sat down at her dresser, brushing the knots out of her hair. She was tired. Much too tired. Her family and friends had urged her to take a week off, a day, an afternoon, but she refused. She felt that sacrificing herself to her work was a small price to pay for worldwide peace. She finished at the mirror and walked over to the bed. She sat down, and picked up a picture frame sitting on the nightstand. She brought it wherever she went. It was a picture of all the Gundam pilots together, shortly after the end of the Eve Wars. WuFei was looking moody (as usual), Trowa was giving a rare smile, Quatre was smiling politely, and Duo, flashing his trademark grin, had one arm draped around Quatre, the other giving Heero bunny ears. She giggled softly at the others, but soon found herself staring at the remaining pilot. The one she was always drawn to, in a way she couldn't express.
Heero.
She hadn't actually seen him since that day in Mariameia's underground castle, but she knew he was always near. She could feel his presence. And the closing door, the shifting curtain, or the point of light just outside the window gave him away every time, whether it was intentional or not. She didn't know why he was following her everywhere, and she didn't care. If it was to kill her, she was prepared to die. If it was to confront her, she was ready to hear his opinion. And if it was for something else... she shook her head. No, it couldn't be for that something else. Maybe in an ideal world, but this was no ideal world. The past two years had proven that to her. She sighed, and put the frame back in its hallowed place on the nightstand. She turned off the lamp, and curled into a ball on her bed. Now, if only she could sleep...
***************
Heero laid on the hood of his car, in the middle of a field just outside the city. He was staring up at the sky, thinking about all of the stars and what a miracle it was that they even existed. He sat up and reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a crumpled newspaper clipping and unfolded it, to reveal a picture of Relena, smiling from a podium. She had been in the newspaper a lot lately, and every article, every picture, drove him insane. It was as though the whole world was torturing him, saying, "Here's the perfect girl, but you can never have her. You can only watch from a distance... and dream..." He crunched the picture into a little ball, and hurled it as hard as he could, into the brush. He sighed and laid back down. He slowly drifted off to a restless sleep, full of dreams and Relena.
***************
It's just you and me
On my island of hope.
A breath between us could be miles.
Let me surround you,
A sea to your shore.
Let me be the calm you seek.
***************
The next day, Relena boarded a shuttle headed for colony L3-X-049918. She was to give a conference that evening to the residents there, urging them to join the Earth Sphere United Nations. She settled down into her large first-class seat, fastening her seatbelt securely. Then, she remembered it was a nine hour flight, and loosened it just a little. She was growing accustomed to these long trips, but being tightly strapped to a chair for the whole thing just didn't sound appealing. The flight attendant picked up the intercom and said cheerfully, "Welcome aboard Flight 276 bound for the L3 colony cluster. A light breakfast will be served shortly after takeoff, with lunch at 12:30, and tea at 4:00. The in-flight movie will be 'Independence Day'. Please ring for an attendant if you need anything". Relena reached for the pocket attached to the seat ahead of her, pulling out a Time magazine. The picture on the cover was of Sally Po, Lucrezia Noin, and Lady Une standing together, with the headline "The Women of the Preventers". She smiled and opened to the article. It was about time she caught up on her old friends.
***************
Heero slowly climbed aboard the shuttle. He had been lucky to get a ticket, but it was the last row aisle seat. Figures he had to get the worst damn seat in the entire coach section. He threw his small pack in the overhead compartment, then plopped down in his seat. He put on his seatbelt, as tight as he could. He didn't trust these over-sized, filled-to-capacity passenger shuttles. He much preferred a roomy MS carrier, but the way things were going, they wouldn't even exist much longer. The flight attendant gave some announcements, but he didn't really pay attention to them. He was too busy staring at the newspaper stuck in the pocket attached to the seat in front of him. On the cover was a huge picture of Relena, shaking hands with some foreign power. He tore the picture out and stuffed it in his pocket. He didn't want her staring back at him for the whole nine hour flight... but he wanted to hang onto the picture, just in case.
***************
Oh, and every time I'm close to you
There's too much I can't say.
And you just walk away.
***************
Relena, exhausted from her long trip, walked out the tunnel and into the spaceport waiting room. "Relena!" Catherine ran up to her, giving her a huge bear hug. "It's so great to see you again!" "It's good to see you too, Catherine," replied Relena. "Where's Trowa and Midii?" "We're right here," said Trowa, his arm wrapped possessively around Midii's waist. "How are you guys? It's really great of you to meet me here," Relena smiled politely at the couple, although Midii could see a hint of sadness in her smile, and maybe even... jealousy? "Do you think we could split right away? I'm so tired, I could fall over!" Catherine, Trowa, and Midii exchanged looks, which made Relena a little nervous. "Actually," Midii said, "We're waiting for one more person..." Relena frowned. "Someone else? Who?" Catherine's face lit up in a smile, and she waved happily towards the door. "Hey! Over here!" Relena turned slowly to see none other than the man of her dreams walking down the gangplank. She gasped, her eyes widened, and her hand flew up to her mouth. "Heero."
***************
Heero stared back at the gaping Relena. He had anticipated a few different reactions from her: anger, hatred, sadness. But he hadn't even considered this one. She was... happy to see him? It blew him away, and it also encouraged him. Maybe, just maybe... he mentally backhanded himself. Yeah, right, the princess of the Sank Kingdom, former Queen of the World, was never going to be interested in some pathetic has-been soldier with no future. He sighed and smiled at his hosts. "Hey Trowa, Catherine, Midii" he said amiably. He then turned to her, his dark, expressive eyes staring through into her soul. "Hello, Relena".
***************
And I forgot
To tell you I love you.
And it's too lonely
And cold here without you.
I grieve in my condition,
For I cannot find the words to say
I need you so.
***************
After picking up their luggage, the whole clan piled into Trowa's SUV. Trowa drove, with Midii in the passenger's seat. Relena, Catherine, and Heero squished in the back, Heero graciously taking the middle seat. Relena couldn't help but admit to herself that she was thrilled to be smashed up against Heero, even though she was pretty uncomfortable. They arrived at Trowa's penthouse apartment, and Midii showed them to their rooms while Catherine and Trowa started making dinner. Their rooms were next door to each other. They both went in to change out of their travel clothes. Relena emerged first, wearing a white blouse and black stretch pants. She sat down in the living room to wait for dinner. She looked around, and couldn't believe what a nice apartment Trowa had. Of course, all of the Gundam pilots were far from poor, after becoming the saviors of the Earth Sphere, but this was amazing. Beautiful and unique paintings were hung on the walls, and large, intricately woven rugs covered the wooden floors. She wished she could have a nice home like that, but with all of her traveling, a real home was next to impossible. Her home was a hotel room, and would be for some time to come, until everything had been settled. Anyway, a home this big would be awfully lonely without any company. On that sad thought, she turned to see Heero walk into the room. He had on a tight black shirt and blue jeans. *Oh, if only I could share a home with him...*
***************
Heero sat down on the couch next to her. He turned to look at her, and smiled. *She looks great* She had really matured since he had first met her on that beach over two years ago. He cleared his throat. "So, are you ready to give your speech tomorrow to the colony leaders?" She smiled back. "I hope so, but I'm still nervous." "How can you be nervous?" Heero asked. "You given so many already, aren't you used to it yet?" Relena looked down at her feet, her face a little flushed. "Well, I have the experience, if that's what you mean. But, my job is so important, to the earth and to the colonies. If I were to make a mistake, many people's lives could be at risk. It's a huge responsibility. I guess I just haven't grown comfortable yet with that." Heero couldn't believe it. Relena Peacecraft Darlian... with a weak point? She seemed so strong and impenetrable. Suddenly, he realized how she had felt when she first met him. He may have seemed perfect, but there was always something inside that kept him one step from immortal. He chewed on that for awhile, until Trowa stuck his head in the door. "Dinner's ready".
***************
Oh, and every time I'm close to you
There's too much I can't say.
And you just walk away.
***************
Relena pulled her pajamas over her head, and brushed her teeth. It had been an extremely long and exhausting day, and she was about ready to drop. She finished in the bathroom and stepped into the hall. Now, which one was her room? She couldn't remember, there were so many rooms off of this hallway. She looked around, and picked the door two down from the bathroom. She opened the door to find an empty room, with clothes lying all over the furniture and floor. She realized with a start that this was Heero's room. He was in the kitchen talking to Trowa. *Heero, how could you leave all of your stuff just strewn around everywhere? This isn't your house, it's Trowa's, and you should at least try to keep it presentable.* She sighed, and began to pick up some of the stuff for him. She picked up a pair of pants, and a piece of paper fluttered to the ground. She picked it up, and gasped quietly. It was a picture of her, ripped from a newspaper. What in the world was Heero doing with a picture of her in his pocket? She set it on the nightstand and left the room quietly, finding her room next door. She turned off the lights and curled up on the bed. She wasn't going to get much sleep tonight, that was for sure.
***************
Heero checked his watch. 1:47, it blinked. "Trowa, if we're going to see Relena talk tomorrow morning at 9:00, we're gonna need some sleep." "I suppose you're right" he answered, and put their coffee mugs in the sink. They walked out of the kitchen and down to their rooms. "See you in the morning" Trowa called, and closed his door. Heero paused, and turned to see Relena's door. He wished he could just go in there and watch her sleep, but common sense stopped him. What if she woke up? What if she wasn't even asleep? He'd feel pretty dumb then. He sighed and walked into his room. He saw his clothes picked up off the floor, and smiled to himself. He knew who it was. Relena almost treated him like a son. But that's not what he wanted. He wanted something more, something he thought he could never have. He flopped on the bed, and stared out the window at the colony. *Too bad you can't see the stars from in here...*
***************
And I forgot
To tell you I love you.
And it's too lonely
And cold here without you.
I grieve in my condition,
For I cannot find the words to say
I need you so.
***************
Relena tossed and turned for a few hours, then turned to look at her clock. It read 3:23. How was she going to give a speech in five hours time with no sleep? She sat up in bed, and climbed out. Maybe a drink of water would help soothe her nerves. She creeped down the hall to the kitchen, where she poured herself a glass of water, and returned to the living room to drink it. She had just finished when she heard a slight sound behind her. She turned, frightened, to see Heero, wearing a pair of sweatpants, and no shirt. She sighed, relieved, and placed her glass on the coffee table. "You scared me, Heero. Why are you up so late?" "I heard someone get up, and I wanted to know why" he replied, his eyes intensely blue in the dark room. "I guess I was just nervous about tomorrow, that's all..." she turned to stare at a painting on the wall. Heero came up behind her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You have no need to be. We're all supporting you, and I'm sure you'll do fine." Relena turned slowly to look up at him. He had grown quite a bit in the past few months, he was now a good four inches taller than her. "You really feel that way?" He smiled. "We all do". Relena smiled back, a slow smile that Heero loved to watch unfold. He took her small hands in his large ones, and pulled her into a hug. "No matter what happens, we'll always be here for you. I'll always be here for you". He pulled back and looked down into her sparkling turquoise eyes. "Always". He closed the small gap left between them, and kissed her slowly, gently, carefully, almost as if he was afraid of her response. They pulled apart, and she let out a tiny, happy sigh. He pulled her close, and they stood there, holding each other. Relena closed her eyes and pressed her ear to his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Finally, she looked up at him, whispering, "And I'll always be here for you".
***************
Author's Note: Well, what do you think? It's my first fanfic ever, so a review would be greatly appreciated. Some constructive criticism from all you experienced writers out there would be nice, too. That way, if I ever try this again, it'll be better! As for the song, Sarah McLachlan is (in my opinion) one of the most talented singer/songwriters there is today, and this is one of my favorite songs from her "Surfacing" CD. Fitting lyrics, ne? Domo arigato, minna-san! -Caro-chan ^_^