Heero had once heard someone say that 'all things are difficult before they're easy.' He couldn't fully agree. Things in life usually came easy for him. As a child he had been a bit of a protégé, learning each new element introduced to him with ease. He had been trained to adapt to any and all environments and situations; survival being his number one priority. There had never been a mission he could not handle or an obstacle he could not overcome.
Well, there had been one mission he never completed, but that one was one he gladly would fail again. Every time he looked into her aqua eyes and saw the love for him there he was grateful he had never pulled that trigger.
Relena had always confused and surprised him. In his life, he had met few people that could do that; completely throw him off his guard and leave him with a sense of vulnerability, but she did. She always did. From the moment so long ago when she told him she was on his side, she had done nothing but surprise him.
Before her, life had been simple: planned and bullet pointed into missions and objectives. Even during the war when he had no clear assignment his mission to stop OZ was still his main priority. Meeting her was a turning point; a catalyst of change in both his life and himself. She made him want to be more. To do more with his existence than just survive.
And that wasn't easy.
When it came to loving her, he realized that everything would be difficult until it became easy. Loving her (the act and emotion) was easy to feel; addictive and warm. The difficulty always existed in showing her; telling her how he felt in a way that left them both satisfied. The physical aspects had been pleasurable and very enjoyable. He never felt more complete than when making love to her. Physical expressions such as kissing, hugging, and holding hands had also become easier and more commonplace with time, but saying those three little words…
It had taken forever for him to ask her to be his girlfriend and he even did that through physicality.
"Heero, Charles Arlington asked me out to dinner this Friday." Heero felt his heart clench.
Many men had flirted with Relena. He always hated it. Watching her dance with other men was bad enough but the flirtation drove him insane. Charles Arlington was rich, handsome, successful and his background check came out clean enough. He was popular with the ladies but nowhere near the playboy he could be. Heero didn't like him.
"Should I go?" It was a loaded question. Did he want her to go? No. Did he have any right to stop her? If it was a matter of security (and he could make it one if he wanted to) then yes. Without that? No. As badly as he wanted to stop her, it was not his place.
"Do you want to?" He managed to ask. She shook her head and he felt his heart lift a bit.
"He's nice enough I suppose, but he's not-" she stopped herself and blushed. "I'll just tell him 'no'."
"Relena." He wanted to know what she was going to say. Needed to know what she did want. "He's not what?" Relena shook her head, her blush deepening.
"Well, it doesn't matter, really." She wasn't looking at him. "It feels so juvenile, but… there is this guy that I have liked… a lot… for years, but he doesn't seem interested in me that way…" Heero's heart sank again. He didn't know who this man was, but he wanted to punch the idiot.
"Have you told him?" Heero immediately kicked himself. He didn't want to encourage her to go after this man… but he did want her to be happy.
"Well," she looked at him, aqua eyes dancing. "I've tried so many times… but I don't want to make things awkward in case he doesn't feel the same. We work very closely together. He's with me every day everywhere I go..." Heero began to catch her meaning.
"Relena…" he reached out and took her hand in his.
"Heero?" Her eyes widened as he leaned in.
"Relena, I…" her eyes closed and she leaned forward as well until their lips touched softly. Electricity shot through him from the simple contact. She must have felt it too because she sighed and relaxed.
When he pulled back, she opened her eyes and the amount of emotions he saw swirling inside them made him smile. She laughed softly and they leaned their foreheads to rest together.
That had been the start of it. They never really put a name to what they had or what they were. They just existed together; stealing kisses and soft, quick caresses throughout the day. Their normal routines never changed. Gradually, expressing himself to her became easier. She was patient. She waited for him to be ready, allowing him to move at his own pace while encouraging him and helping him in any way possible.
Now, lying next to her in their bed, all he could think was how the saying had been partially right. Not all things were difficult until they became easy, but the ones that really mattered were the most worth that effort.
He kissed her naked shoulder and she sighed, snuggling closer to him.
"I love you," She whispered contentedly. He smiled and pulled her closer.
"I love you too." he whispered back and fell asleep to the sound of his lover's breathing.