"There now, Miss Relena," Pagan said soothingly. "I promise all will be alright."

But it won't be. And I know it. Because someday, you'll leave.

"Shush now. We wouldn't want Master Quatre to see you in this state, it would only worry him.

He already knows. And I've put so much on his shoulders by making him promise not to tell.

Relena sniffed and stood back, away from Pagan. She nodded.

"Yes, I supposed you're right," she said. She smiled. "I'm sorry."

"No problem at all, my dear."

***

"Tell me again," Heero said to Duo as they wandered the hangar, "why do we have to go through all of this with Relena?"

"Ah, so you are nervous," Duo said with a knowing smile. "Well, I'm guessin' it's a matter of honor. It would be rude not to attend when we already promised we would."

Rude? Heero thought. Rude? What about my self-being? It would be rude to destroy that.

"Duo, Heero!"

Duo's head shot up. He waved. "Howard, my man. What's up? Something wrong with my Scythe?"

Howard's head shook. "Nope, it's in tip-top condition. I just wanted to tell you boys that there's a killer alert."

Heero straightened. "Killer?"

"There's a killer on the loose. Escaped from the Steeple County Insane Asylum."

"What's all this got to do with us?" Duo asked.

Howard shrugged. "Just thought you boys ought to know."

"Yeah, thanks, but we can handle a killer any day, right Heero?"

"Yeah," Heero said, Howard's words soaking through. "Yeah. Right."

***

Relena fidgeted with her whit egloves nervously. Some guests had already arrived, and they were in the ballroom, dancing, drinking, eating, laughing.

She had dressed up as an angel, something she had decided long ago when she had been happy. She didn't know what she would have gone in after she found out...

The news had ripped her world up by its seams.

Her angelic, gray wings fluttered in the cool air-conditioning, and her long, swirling white dress sweeped to the floor.

Heero had not yet arrived.

What if he decided not to show up? Relena worried. Then she shook her head, sighed, and glanced at the clock.

You want him to show up? she asked herself.

Relena's fist clenched. Duo...it was all Duo. Duo's fault, Duo's blame, Duo's everything. If he hadn't had interfered...

But no. She and Heero wouldn't have gotten closer...she knew that now.

I don't know what to think anymore.

Just then, a familiar voice seemed to beg to be heard by her. She turned, saw a pastry laughing with Alladin, who was Quatre, about some joke.

"Duo," she whispered. "But where's..."

"Relena."

Her heart ceased its endless beat, then started up again, hot and thrumming, deafening to her ears.

A boy offered his hand to her. He was wearing a simple silver mask that covered his eyes and nose, and his dark brown hair was slicked back. A sword was at his hip, looking real and deadly.

"May I have this dance?"

Relena placed her hand tenderly into his, and his hand tightened.

Is this Heero? her mind wondered. He's so...charming.

He swept her around the ballroom floor, his eyes never leaving hers, and her nerves were on fire.

***

Heero took in a small, steadying breath and shuddered from within.

"Stop it, please, I beg you...Stop!"

His eyes closed, and his grip on Relena slackened. No, no memories...it interfered.

"Stop...no, please, stop...don't."

Heero carefully, millimeter by millimeter started to tok his hands away from hers, so that the palms weren't touching, but the were still attached.

No, he thought. No, I don't want to hurt Relena like that...I don't want her to be afraid of me...but she is. And she was, in the dream.

"Heero," Relena said. His heart flew to his throat, his arms trembled slightly, though she didn't notice. She bowed her head, hurt gleaming in her eyes.

God she was beautiful.

Heero's eyes shut, and he kept his feelings in check. No. No. No. He wasn't in love with her. No.

"Heero, forgive me for not seeming very talkative tonight," she whispered, her voice filled with tears. She cleared her throat, and looked up at him brightly, putting on an act. "Lovely party, isn't it?"

Anger burned insid eof Heero's chest. "Don't act so fake, Relena."

Her eye flickered, her lips parted just slightly.

"Whatever do you mean?" she asked innocently.

Heero shook his head in disapproval. "Relena. Don't act like that."

She broke. She said in a hurtful, angry hiss, "What do you want me to act like, Heero? Do you want me to break down in tears? Do you want me to act like the whole world is going to end? Alright, I'll act like that Heero, to make you happy, because it shouldn't be too hard anyway. I already feel that way."

Heero's grip loosened fully and he stepped back from her. they were in the midst of twirling, dancing couples, all waving past them, but the people weren't there anymore. They had disappeared.

And Relena and Heero had been taken to a world that solely consisted of each other's eyes.

Her eyes gleamed, filled with tears, and her fists clenched to her side.

"Heero," she sobbed softly.

Relena, stop...he wanted to command her, but couldn't get the words out of his mouth. He couldn't control his lips, his tongue. Stop breaking my heart.

Like you did to hers? a wickid voice rang inside his head.

"Heero...you must know, you must," she said softly. The first tear fell down one cheek, the next tear followed.

Oh, how he wanted to touch her. How he wanted to reach out and wipe those tears away from her face, to touch her bare skin, to experience the feeling of it under his fingers.

How he wanted to twirl a lock of her beautiful hair around his fingers, playing with it, teasing it.

How he wanted to kiss her.

"You must know that I love--"

"Relena." Heero put his hand up to stop the sentence from going any further. "Don't."

Her bottom lip quivered, and Heero turned on his heel to leave.

It seemed to her that he turned because he didn't care.

But in reality, Heero Yuy turned because he didn't want to see her weep because of him.

***

There's more to it, so stay tuned!!!!! I just couldn't write it all with my schedule and all.