Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing

After a few weeks, Relena got a shocking phone call at work. Henry explained to her that their relationship was not working out. Though he loved her with all of his heart, their careers were still demanding too much of them. He assured her that he had never loved anyone so much, and he would never forget her. Still, somehow, behind the devastation of her first heartbreak, Relena had the sinking feeling that she'd been had. Suddenly, she felt used, and began to wonder if any of it was real.

Her empty stare did not slip past Heero unnoticed, when he brought her home that day. He guided her by her shoulders, sitting her firmly on her couch in the sitting room, and went straight into the kitchen.

When he returned, Heero placed a quart of vanilla ice cream in front of the Vice Foreign Minister, with a spoon. She stared at the gift silently for several minutes, before looking up into his eyes. His face was still perfectly still, but his eyes were pools of compassion. She furrowed her brows, studying him in silence. Finally, she understood that he could read her so well. He'd been following the newest chapter of her life, only one step behind her experiences, and as promised, allowed her to make her mistakes without his interference. Now here she was, alone, with a quart of ice cream and only a "friend" she pays to love her.

Relena imploded in hysterical sobs. She felt so alone.

Relena started when she felts a large, warm hand glide slowly and smoothly across her shoulders. The couch shifted under her as the intensely strong and handsome man lowered himself beside her. He pulled her into an embrace, against his chest, and silently let her mourn. She cried for the man she thought she was falling in love with. She cried out of shame for being wrong. She cried for the wasted time behind her. She cried for the fear of the blank future in front of her. She cried for her lost dreams. And she cried it all into him. Heero just held on, and let her cry.

The next morning, Relena woke up late. She was in her own bed, fully clothed in her outfit from the day before. Automatically panicked, she rushed to the stairwell and called for Heero, frantic that he hadn't waken her. That's when he told her that he'd already called in sick for her, and cancelled her meetings for the day. He sent her back to bed, where he brought her fresh breakfast and coffee a short while later. She teasingly requested tea, instead, to which he complied before he sat with her all day, as they watched movies and talked.

Nothing was said about Henry McDaniels, and Heero thought it best it stay that way, for as long as she wanted to keep it so.

"Why are you being so kind to me?" Relena asked as night fell around them.

Heero looked down at her puzzled. "Relena," he said. "I'm your friend. I love you. I will support you." He pulled her into another hug, setting his chin on the top of her head as he looked at the wall behind her. "You know that," he said.

:::

The following Saturday the sun broke softly through the kitchen windows as Relena made her way to the kitchen. She found Heero and Duo standing over the coffee pot, and wrinkled her nose at the thing, to show her distaste for the smell.

"Hey, Lee," Duo said. "You wanna go out? The fair's in town. It'll do you good. Walk around. Meet people. Get some sun. Have some fun?"

She glared at him.

"Hey, I'm just saying! You've been locked up in that stuffy office for months. You could really use a day out with friends." He threw an arm around Heero to illustrate. "And we'll protect you. Won't we, Buddy?"

"Hn."

Relena steeped her tea, eying the long haired pilot warily. "Alright," she said. "But take it easy on me. I haven't been feeling great, lately."

"No problemo!" He exclaimed.

:::

Relena told the boys she was happy to be out, but her demeanor said otherwise. Even Heero seemed more pleased with the crowds, the foods and the sights. Relena looked uncomfortable with the other people, which was not her personality, avoided the animals, complaining of their smells, and barely touched her food, siting nausea. Duo looked positively exasperated when she refused to go on yet another ride, claiming that she just "wasn't feeling up to it". He stood behind her, so she wouldn't see him fuming, while she sat at a bench to rest her tired feet.

Heero raised an eyebrow as he observed her. She was definitely swallowing air, with a look of pure disgust on her face. "Are you feeling okay?"

She looked up at him in surprise. "Yes," she answered. "I guess. It's just—the onions. They're so potent."

"Onions?"

Duo turned and looked at Heero. They both seemed completely perplexed.

"Yes. Don't you smell them? They're so strong!"

Heero raised an eyebrow, wondering how her sanity was holding up under recent stress. "I smell many things, Relena, but no onions."

She sighed in frustration and stood up. "Fine. But they're there. I swear. I smell them."

"What do you say we get some hot, fresh cotton candy, Princess? Surely that sounds good?"

"Yes, Duo! That sounds wonderful. I haven't had cotton candy since—I don't know when." She smiled for the first time that day, so big that her eyes closed on their own.

"Great." They finally started down the next hill.

The cotton candy was nearly a quarter mile from their perch, at the end of dozens of concession stands. Much to Heero and Duo's surprise, it was right next to a blooming onion stand. They shot each other strange looks. There was no way she smelled the onions from there.

Once the group had their huge, pink clouds of sugar, they rushed the gagging princess as far from the root vegetables as humanly possible, and pondered her new superhuman ability in nervous silence.

"Heero, you don't think—?"

"No."

And that was the last Duo was allowed to say until they'd made their way home.

As Heero let the princess in the door of her own house, he lagged behind, sending duo off on an errand.

He met Relena in the kitchen and brewed her up some fresh tea.

"How did you enjoy your day?"

"It was fun, I guess. I just wish I was feeling better. I'd liked to have gone on some rides."

"It may be for the best."

"Everything can't be for the best all the time, you know."

"Maybe not, but this might be."

Silence fell between them. He stared openly at her as she played with her tea, sitting on a stool across the breakfast bar from him.

"You used to like coffee after a long day out."

"Yeah," she said, wrinkling her nose.

"You don't like the smell of it?"

"No."

"Strange. You used to look forward to that in the morning."

"I know. I don't know what happened. It's just, in the last few weeks, it's been—"

"Grossing you out?"

"Yes."

Another silence hung there, until the pair heard the sounds of Duo coming into the house.

"Relena?"

"Heero?"

"You remember, I promised you I'd support you, no matter what?"

"Yes?"

"That hasn't changed."

Duo marched into the kitchen, handing Heero an unadorned store bag, then sat quietly at the end of the bar, watching both of them carefully.

"I know, Heero."

"Yes. I know you know. I just wanted to remind you. It's important that you never forget that. That you never think you're alone."

She smiled up at him, coyly. "I know I'm not, Heero."

He gave her his secret smiled, gently touching her face, before setting the bag down in front of her. "No matter what you decide, I'll support you. Just get the facts now, going into this."

She looked at him puzzled as she reached into the bag and pulled out a pink box. The two telltale white sticks on the front gave his concerns away. She felt the panic wash over her. She was pretty sure her face turned green.

She was broken from her shock by the feeling of Heero taking her hand in his. "I will support you," he said, as he leaned forward and looked deep into her eyes. "No matter what."