Gundam Wing and its characters do not belong to me.

Chapter Three: Her Sweet Protector

"That was totally uncalled for, babe," Duo told Hilde, his hands on her shoulders to keep her still. She was still looking daggers at him, those lovely sapphire orbs filled with burning anger, and he had as of yet to determine the real cause for her pique. She knew his was a friendly temperament, and there was absolutely no way he would be flirting with Relena, or any other woman, for that matter. He loved Hilde. And she knew that.

She shifted in his tight hold, her hands against his chest, trying to push him away. She hadn't meant to get upset. Relena was like a sister to Duo. He would never flirt with her. So why had she reacted so badly? "Duo, I am sorry. I'm just, it's been a long—"

"Uh uh." Duo shook his head. "I don't believe that for an instant, Hilde. You slept all afternoon. You shouldn't be tired." His tone was firm and a tad cold – he knew she was just making up lame excuses to cover the real problem. His wife flinched and looked down. "So? What's going on with you lately?"

Should I tell him here? He'll make such a fuss, a happy one, hopefully... "Um, sweetie, I do have something to tell you, but maybe not here," she finally said and felt his hands relax on her shoulders.

"Hey, that's all I ask, babe. I just want you to be honest with me, okay?" Duo lifted her chin and kissed her gently. It was his way of showing that she was forgiven. "Come on. Let's go see what has the crowd so—" He broke off abruptly at the sight of his best friend kissing his wife. Only Heero wasn't so much kissing Relena as...

"Wow. You can ravage me like that any time you want, sweetie," Hilde whispered, her eyes locked on their friends. Heero very nearly had his wife bent backward, such was his ardor, and the crowd had no idea how to respond. Her own husband, however, knew exactly what to do.

A wolfish whistle broke the stunned silence and then Duo began clapping. "Yeah, buddy! You go, Yuy!" he shouted and laughed, clearly pleased with himself. Heero brought Relena back to the vertical and gradually pulled away, his face flushed with heat. Relena was blushing, but didn't look upset at all. Duo wrapped an arm around Hilde and drew her over to their friends. Heero put an arm around Relena's slender shoulders and stared at them.

"That was great, Heero. That's what I call a passionate ice-breaker," Duo said, grinning wide. His cobalt eyes twinkled in amusement. Heero just shook his head, intending to fully ignore the remark, but a slow grin managed to escape past his resolve and sneak across his lips for a moment. Then it was gone, but his wife and friends could tell how pleased he was with himself.

"Mrs. Yuy." Relena turned and groaned inwardly. Heero's kiss hadn't really deterred anyone, and she found herself instantly surrounded by a mob of people that she didn't care to be around. She looked for and saw Heero's chocolate hair seconds before a very tall and imposing figure blocked her husband from view.

"Relena. How wonderful to see you again." His voice was deep and pleasant, but there was a cold gleam in his light green eyes that made her shudder in response. "I need to talk with you." He took hold of her elbow, surprising her with his hurtful grip and tried to lead her away from the others who were waiting impatiently for her attention.

"Please, let go of me. I don't know—"

"Who I am? That's not important right now." He shoved two men aside and started to lead her from the group, but Relena pulled back, trying to struggle gracefully. Surely someone could tell she was in distress, and even if not, all she had to do was call out her husband's name and he would be there in seconds. And it looked like it was coming to that...

"Let go of my wife." Heero stood blocking the man's way, his eyes snapping with rage, his muscular arms folded over his chest. He was an intimidating man when he wasn't upset, but when he was – Relena blinked at the naked ferocity in both his blue gaze and stance, and knew he had never looked so angry in his life – at least not that she remembered.

And Heero was angry, furious, actually. It had been one thing to threaten Relena when she was just his job, a person he shouldn't have cared that much about. It was another thing entirely for someone to threaten her when she was his wife.

"Why don't you stand aside?" The man tried to push Heero away, and that was his last mistake. Heero simply grabbed the man's extended arm and flipped him, breaking the man's wrist in the process. It was deliberate, too; Heero knew how to do the move with little to no injury, but Relena had been threatened and that was not acceptable.

Heero paid no further attention to the man groveling on the floor and walked to his wife, taking her delicate face in his hands. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice quiet and low. She nodded and hugged him. She was tense, but as Heero gently rubbed her back in reassurance, he felt her body relax. "There, koibito, its okay," he whispered softly, feeling her nod her head against his chest.

A sizable crowd had gathered, but was now being dispersed by the Preventer team on duty. Heero watched as they cleared the crowd and two agents hauled the man to his feet, with little regard for his injury. "Mrs. Yuy?" Relena turned her head to acknowledge Agent Wilder, the head of team twelve. "Are you alright, ma'am?" That Wilder, a young buck of age twenty, was nervous was quite noticeable and highly expected. It was his job to protect the people at the Ball, and he had failed. Miserably.

"Yes, I'm alright," she told him, wishing fervently that they could now go home. She just wasn't in the mood to patronize anyone. Agent Wilder nodded, a relieved look on his face. It wouldn't look good on his record if the former Vice Foreign Minister had been hurt on his watch.

"You're lucky," Heero told the younger man, a deep scowl on his face. "Your team is lax." Agent Wilder had the guts to appear affronted by the harsh comment. Just who did Yuy think he was? He wasn't a Preventer anymore.

"My team is doing its job. Maybe the guy just liked the looks of your wife," Wilder shot back, completely forgetting any professionalism he had. Heero's Prussian eyes narrowed and he looked at his wife. Relena was pale, and he knew she was upset by the turn of events. She certainly didn't need to hear the head of the Ball's security say something like that.

"I'll be right back, honey," he said calmly, but Relena saw the seething anger in his eyes. She knew she could probably get him to ignore the rude young agent, but found that she didn't want to. Agent Wilder had coming to him whatever Heero had in mind. Her husband glanced at Duo and Hilde, and they came to Relena's side, Hilde wrapping an arm around her best friend. Heero nodded at Duo and turned to fully face Wilder.

"What? You don't like what I said, Yuy?" Wilder sneered. Sure, Yuy was still a big name at HQ, a real tough guy from the sounds of it, but Wilder wasn't so shabby himself, and he wasn't afraid of the Japanese man.

Heero studied him, disgust in his gaze. Was this the type of agents Zechs was putting out there? The thought sickened him. "No, I don't. No one talks about her like that." And his cold statement was followed by a hard left cross that took Wilder by surprise and to the floor. Heero stared down at him. "You'd do well to learn some respect, kid."

"Nice," Duo told his friend when Heero rejoined them. Heero ignored him and collected Relena into his arms, hugging her and kissing her cheek. She was tired, and he had no greater desire than to take her home and curl up in their big bed with her.

"Koibito, maybe we should head home," he whispered to her, wanting to leave but giving her the decision. After all, this was her type of party, and they didn't get into New York that often. Relena gazed up at him, knowing what he was thinking. She too would like to be at home, but she had certain obligations, and even after her scare, she would be expected to stay and hold court.

"I really would like to, handsome, but I need to stay," she said, seeing his disappointment. He wouldn't argue with her, though, even if her decision had irritated him. And of course, it had.

"Okay, but if anyone get too pushy, we're leaving," he told her, his tone firm. Relena nodded, almost hoping someone would do just that so he would keep his promise. But the rest of the night went quite smoothly. Duo and Hilde stuck close, for which Relena was glad. She missed seeing them on a daily basis, missed all their friends, actually, and was very disappointed that the others hadn't been able to make it.

Middie had come down with a terrible cold that was simply not going away, and Trowa had refused to leave her. It was completely understandable of course, but Relena still wished she could see them. They had gotten married just two months after her and Heero, and the two couples didn't get to spend much time together. Relena's decision to retire had taken her, and Heero, out of the circle that their friends still traveled in as Preventer agents.

Wufei Chang and Sally Po were on duty in Paris, having been hand-picked to accompany Zechs and his wife, Lucrezia, to a conference with some of the top military leaders from around the world. Wufei had recently asked Sally to marry him, and the agent/doctor had asked Relena to be a bridesmaid, while Noin, as she still went by, would be her matron of honor. Wufei had taken plenty of ribbing from his friends for waiting so long, but the Chinese man was not one to rush into things. He had wanted to make sure his decision was the best for both Sally and himself. Their wedding was to be in May, and Relena was very much looking forward to it.

And this left Quatre Winner, the gentle blonde CEO of Winner Enterprises. He had been too busy to get away, but Relena had expected that. Quatre was a firm believer in a hands-on approach, and therefore had little time to spare for anything not work-related. But she missed him, so much, perhaps even more than the others, for he had been quick to connect with her all those years ago, and to encourage her when things had seemed bleak and dark. A better friend Relena couldn't imagine.

"Koishii?" She realized Heero had been staring down at her, growing more and more concerned. While he was fond of calling her "love" and "sweetheart," he almost always reverted back to Japanese terms of endearment when they were intimate or when he was very worried about her. She reached up to touch his face gently. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, darling, just tired. It's been a long night," she said, smiling. But her weariness was evident in her gentian eyes, and Heero knew it was time to leave. They found Duo and Hilde and exchanged goodbyes, Hilde promising to call Relena the next day.

Heero called for his Jeep while helping Relena with her coat. The weather had turned decidedly nastier, and snow fell while wind spun it out of control. It was not a good night to be on the roads, and Heero had already decided to get a hotel room when Relena brought it up. "Good idea, sweetheart," he told her and swung the Jeep out into traffic. Relena shivered, wishing they could just go home. They had no clothes, nothing to wear to bed (although she knew that wouldn't be a problem), and the prospect of wearing her dress the next day just didn't appeal to her.

"Koibito, what's wrong? You're awfully quiet," Heero said, sparing his wife a quick glance. The streets, even downtown, were horrible, and a glance was all he could give her at the moment.

"I'd just rather be going home, but I know that's out of the question," she told him, her voice low. She yawned, hiding it behind a hand, but her husband caught it.

"Are you sure that's it? What about what you told me earlier tonight?" he asked, not willing to let it drop. Relena was quiet for a minute or so, and he let her be, wondering what it was that she could possibly have to tell him. A taxi jumped out in front of them and he swore, but his wife knew he was anxious, not irritated, but only because of his concern for her.

"I'll tell you at the hotel," she finally said, wanting him to keep focused on the streets. They pulled up to a large hotel, one where several politicians were staying, but it was close, and Heero wanted to get Relena out of the storm. He hurried her inside, shaking the snow from his chocolate hair as he approached the front desk. As he requested a room and paid for it, Relena fidgeted at his side, glancing around.

"Come on, honey." He escorted her to an elevator and punched the eighth floor button. He personally liked to stay higher, but Relena wasn't fond of heights, and he respected that. She remained silent until they were locked in the safety and quiet of the room, and only then did she begin to relax and let down. She sat on the bed and closed her eyes, glad the night was over.

"Relena? Tenshi, tell me what it is," Heero said, sitting down next to her and taking her hand in his. Relena turned her head to look at him, and was struck again by how handsome he really was. His eyes, so deeply blue, were beautiful, and he would be totally devastating if not for his unruly locks that tousled over his eyes and gave him a boyish charm. She took a deep breath and smiled.

"Have you noticed Hilde acting out of sorts lately?" she asked and saw that she had captured him off-guard. He wasn't expecting this to be about their friend.

"She was snippy tonight, but you know how she is," Heero said, shrugging. "Why?" He had, of course, noticed that the German woman seemed much touchier tonight than normal, but had figured all was not well between her and Duo. That hardly seemed worthy of a discussion, but if Relena was upset by it, then he would do his best to reassure her.

"Well, I'm not completely sure, but I think maybe Hilde is pregnant," Relena said, knowing that was sure to throw her husband for a loop. To his credit, Heero barely batted an eye, much to her surprise.

"I kind of wondered that myself," he admitted, smirking when she gave him an incredulous look. "What? Men can't have intuition?" For that he got a glare and a swat on the arm, making him grin. Relena was very much a lady, and hardly ever resorted to any physical sort of retaliation, but he did so enjoy it when she did, for it was never more than a polite swat.

"No, of course not. I just, well, I am surprised. And I wonder if Duo has guessed." He would be wonderful father, she knew, and the news of a child would put a permanent grin on his face.

Heero snorted. "I doubt it. Maxwell is too busy goofing off and entertaining himself to notice anything." His words sounded harsh, but his wife knew how much Heero liked Duo, how much like brothers they had become. They had put their lives on the line for one another many times, and she knew they would do it again in a heartbeat if called to do so.

"Oh, stop it. Duo might not know yet because he's with Hilde so much," Relena said, thinking aloud. "You probably wouldn't know if I was, either." At those words, she suddenly felt a tug to discover what Hilde was going through. At age twenty-four, she realized that she was ready for that next step. She wanted a baby. And that knowledge made her blush.

Heero reached up to cup her chin in his hand, his Prussian eyes seeming to stare right into her soul. "Love, when you get pregnant, I will know." He didn't have to add anything else, because he knew she believed him. And he could tell what she was thinking. But were they really ready for that? Was he ready for that? He wasn't even aware that he had voiced his concerns aloud until Relena got up and walked away from him, her hands clasped in front of her. She seemed so pathetically young and naïve whenever she carried herself that way, and he frowned, knowing he had upset her. He got off the bed and went to her, placing his hands on her upper arms.

"Koibito, do you want to get pregnant now?" he asked as gently as he possibly could, watching her closely. She looked up at him, into those blues she trusted whole-heartedly, and shook her head. He wasn't sure whether he was relieved or disappointed. Was it possible to be both?

"No, not yet, handsome. I guess with Hilde, well, we don't know for sure, but just thinking about it...I do want kids, of course, but maybe not for another year or so," she said, biting her lip. "What do you think?"

A lot of men dreaded that question, but Heero relished it, because it meant Relena honestly wanted and valued his input. "I think, love," he started, bringing a hand up to touch her cheek, "that when you're ready, I will be too." There was such gentle and sincere warmth in both his caress and words that his wife all but melted into his arms. Heero kissed her softly, then firmer, until he had to break contact.

"Come on, tenshi. Why don't we get more comfortable?" he asked and swept her off her feet, carrying her to the bed and setting her down on it carefully. Relena smiled shyly and yet with a gleam in her eyes that was all the subtle invitation her husband needed as he laid her back and began kissing her, giving in to his need to be with her again.


A/N: Koibito – sweetheart

Koishii – darling or beloved

Tenshi – angel