Fountains A:hover {color #9900CC; text-decoration: overline; pont-family: Arial Narrow; pont-weight: bold}

Fountains --3

by Cattie

Romance / Angst?

Heero stood in the deep shadows on Relena's balcony, his intense prussian blue eyes focusing on the blonde girl standing in the middle of the room, still in her night-dress, her hand resting on the wardrobe door, facing away from him.

"Relena..."

As she shook herself back to reality, out of the day-dream she had been in, he allowed his thoughts to wander. To last night, specifically.

Relena had been having a bad day, anyone who knew her should have known just by looking, but she kept it well hidden from everyone else.

Heero noticed, even if the idiot pilot of Deathscythe Hell hadn't.

The force with which she clenched her hands, the way her smile was always bright, forced, the way her body was stiff, the way her eyes shone with un-fallen tears and bottled anger.

Oh yes, Heero had noticed. But he seemed to be the only one who had.

Even Zeches and Noin hadn't noticed that the young Vice Foreign-Minister was about to snap.

And she did, with predictable style.

She had just finished a particularly grueling conversation with an old gentleman, a minor representative from colony L1.

He had been arguing about something or other, and Relena had taken a harsh opposite view to it.

Heero had been staring at her during the conversation, noting the way her ash blonde hair shone under the lights, her dress hanging off her slender frame, which had been recently getting slimmer and slimmer, and the way her blue eyes glittered with passion, with the heat of the argument.

Those eyes, that had suddenly filled with tears, causing Heero to jump up from his hiding place and move closer to the balcony doors.

She had then, politely, excused herself from the discussion, her eyes filling more with un-shed tears as she walked towards the other gundam pilots, who were near the refreshment table. Not surprising, considering Duo's stomach.

As she walked, her shoulder slumped, her constant smile fell and her pace became saddened.

As she reached her position, next to Duo and his massive plate of food, the smile was plastered back onto her face, but her eyes retained the sadness.

She then sat next to Duo, who hadn't yet seen her, and allowed her head to hang, her hands twisting round each other in her lap.

Duo continued his story, about god-knows-what, and part of it seemed to anger Relena.

She stood, anger radiating from her, drawing the attention of almost everyone in the room, and tapped Duo on the shoulder.

The pilot of Deathscythe Hell then turned, slowly, looking as if he knew a mad Relena was behind him, and he was trying to prolong his life.

The impact of her hand across his cheek had echoed through-out the newly silent room.

As she realized she was being watched by everyone in the room, the tears hiding in her eyes fell, cascading down her cheeks.

She had then turned, ran towards the balcony doors, throwing them open and running to the gardens, almost knocking Heero over.

That's when Heero had followed her, running past the wide open balcony doors, pausing only to give Duo a death glare to rival any he had ever given before.

He had finally caught up with her when she was sitting there, on the edge of the fountain, staring at her reflection in the midnight black waters.

He had stood there as she stared, then brought her hand down, smashing her reflection, sending missiles of water droplets everywhere.

As she sat there, water cascading around her, time stopped for Heero. He was unable to do anything but stare at the girl in front of him.

However, once she had crumpled to her knees in the fountain, his body seemed to regain some control, and he moved towards her.

Then, as she collapsed in the fountain, whispering his name, her name fell from his lips, and he raced towards her.

As he stood, inches from her prone figure, an internal battle had raged.

If he touched her, took her back, he would never be able to go back.

But they had already seen him, he could never go back.

In one quick motion he had stepped into the fountain and picked up her body, cradling it close, feeling comforted as he heard her shallow breathing.

He had then taken her back to the balcony, Zeches, Noin and the other pilots meeting him at the doors.

He held her close as many voices flew at him, and simply walked up to her room, laying her down on her bed.

Only then did he acknowledge any of the others, speaking to Noin, as he kept his eyes on Relena's figure on the bed.

"She need's to be changed out of those clothes. She's overworked also. She needs a holiday" had been his simple words, as he stood, reluctant to leave her side, but knowing someone else would have to dress her.

Duo then rushed into the room, braid flying, violet eyes full with regret, hurt and confusion.

"How's Oujo-san? I never meant to get her angry, it was just a joke, I didn't mean it!" Duo had yelled, shocking anyone who wasn't used to the rowdy gundam pilot.

Click.

Heero had pointed his gun at Duo before anyone had the chance to answer his question.

"Whoa, Heero, buddy, think before pointing that thing"

"What did you say to her?" had been Heero's only response.

"It was a joke! Honestly! I never meant to upset her!" Duo protested, as Heero walked closer.

"What did you say to her?" Heero's voice queried, carrying a note of danger for his braided friend.

"Really, it was just a joke! I never meant for Oujo-san to hear it! It was just a joke about you and he-" Duo's voice was becoming high-pitched with danger, Heero's gun pressing in his stomach, until Relena had moaned in her sleep.

"Heero..."

He then dashed to her side, leaving the pilot of Deathscythe Hell standing there, looking for all the world like a fish out of water, with his mouth hanging wide open.

A similar look was evident on Zeches face, but Noin simply smiled, and walked towards the brown haired boy who was kneeling at Relena's side.

"Heero... We need to get her changed. You can come back in a few minutes."

He had then stood, turning and following the wide-mouthed Duo out of the room, muttering only one thing.

"Shut your mouth, fish-boy"

Heero had been allowed back into Relena's room after a few minutes, and when he walked in she had been changed into a white night-dress, her soaked dress from earlier taken away.

He sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her face, willing her to awake.

"Heero?..."

His eyes had flown open, upon hearing her voice, and seeing her slate blue eyes flicker open.

His hand flew to her face, without his will, resting on her cheek.

"You need some sleep, Relena. Go back to sleep" he had commanded, but his eyes had held a kindness that took the edge of his impassionate tone.

She had obeyed him then, eyes fluttering shut, breathing becoming regular and deep.

His hand had stayed on her ice cold cheek, watching her sleep.

He stayed there for a few hours, then retreated to the shadows of her room, later her balcony, always watching her for anything that could be wrong.

He had stayed there until now, standing on her balcony, watching her still.

Suddenly, she fell, gasping to the floor, he body wracked with vicious coughs.

He was at her side as soon as he could wrestle the doors open, holding her in his arms, patting her back until she reagined her breath.

She stayed looking down for a minute, then raised her face to his, the shock evident.

"You... you..."

"It was me, Relena."

"You came back?"

"Yes, I came back. And this time I'm not leaving"

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Okay, aren't you proud?! You'd better be!! This is the longest chapter I've ever written, I think. And I've managed 3 parts to a fic in 1 day!! Wow... That's alot for me....

Anyways, Plz review!! e-mail me your comments!!