Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing.
Chapter 9
The sun was shining, and Relena could hear the birds chirping outside her window. Spring was drawing near. She looked up from her schoolwork and stretched out her tired arms. Pushing back her chair, Relena stepped outside to her balcony. She breathed in the fresh air and leaned against the wide stone railing, closing her eyes. It was so peaceful and quiet that Relena didn't notice someone climbing up the tree next to her balcony.
Like a jaguar on the prowl, silent and deadly, Heero jumped from the tree branch and settled down on the side railing. He leaned back against the wall and gazed at Relena. She still didn't notice him. Heero wanted her trust so much as he watched her sigh and clutch the angel in her hand. His heart began to beat faster when a smile spread across her beautiful face.
Relena couldn't help but smile as she thought about the dance and Heero. After that night, things between them had grown easier not awkward as she had expected. It wasn't really any different from before. She went to school. Heero was with her all the time, and then he took her home. That was the only time they saw each other, and as each day passed Relena grew more comfortable with him. But could she trust him? Somewhere in her heart, it told her that she could, but she was still hesitant. Heero would never harm her. That she knew, and it comforted her.
Heero decided to make his presence known. "Good afternoon, Princess," he said softly.
Her eyes snapped open, her guard instantly up again. Relena whipped her entire body at the sound of the voice, settling into a fighting stance. Her eyes widened at the sight, but then they turned into a glare. Relena relaxed her body and resisted the urge to punch that smirk of his face. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked coldly.
"Dropped by to say hi. Is that a crime?" Heero replied. He swung his legs on the railing and stood up.
"Ever heard of a door, Mr. Yuy?" Relena snapped. She crossed her arms and continued to glare at him.
Heero didn't respond. Instead, he continued to gaze at her from under his dark bangs. Together they stood there, staring at each other for several minutes. Finally, Relena had to drop her gaze. She sighed and went back inside. Heero followed her in and sat down in one of her chairs with his arms crossed.
"Was there something you wanted, Heero?" Relena asked, moving over to her closet.
"Are you going somewhere?" he questioned as she took out some clothes. He noticed that she had said his name again, and she had said it softly. Heero smiled faintly. She wasn't aware that she wasn't her stoic self.
"Milliardo's birthday is on Tuesday. I'm going out with Pagan to buy a gift," Relena answered. "Now if you'll excuse me." With that she stepped into her bathroom.
"I can take you. I was about to meet my friends at the mall," Heero declared. He raised his voice enough so she could hear through the door.
"You know what? I can't imagine you inside a mall," Relena said through the door.
"Let me take you, Relena," Heero said when she walked out. Relena was wearing a white cashmere sweater and blue jeans. He tilted his head to regard her attire. "I've never seen you without your uniform. Looking like that, people would never guess that you're a princess."
Relena didn't reply. She grabbed her small leather back bag and looked at herself in the mirror. Heero was right. Staring back at her was a normal teenaged girl ready to go out. "We have to ask my brother," she said, walking over to close the balcony doors.
"We will. I'll see you downstairs," Heero replied. He ran back out to the balcony and jumped onto the railing. He gave her a smile and disappeared down.
Relena stood startled in the doorway, and a small smile appeared on her face. She knew that Milliardo would probably let her go since Heero was going with her, and then she began to feel excited for some reason. Excited? Well, it was official. She was never going to be the same around Heero. Trusting him was another matter. All of a sudden the doorbell echoed through the house. Relena left her room and head downstairs. She could hear Heero talking with Milliardo and Noin.
"Oh, there you are, Relena. I don't have to come get you," Noin said when she noticed Relena coming into the living room. "Are you ready to go?" Relena nodded and slid a glance at Heero who was standing not far from her. "Heero dropped by to say hi, and we told him that you were going out. He offered to take you since he's meeting friends at the mall. Isn't that a coincidence?"
"Yes, it most certainly is," Zechs said suddenly. Relena noticed the strange look he was giving Heero. Not his usual impassive look. Was something wrong?
"I think Heero is a better choice to go with Relena than all those bodyguards," Noin declared. "Zechs?"
Zechs gave no answer. Instead, he was glancing back and forth between Heero and Relena. He glanced back at Relena, and he was surprised at what he finally saw. Relena looked like a normal teenaged girl with her hair up in a ponytail and her clothes. She looked grown up. 'What happened to my sweet little sister?' Zechs thought sadly.
"Zechs?" Noin repeated. "Are you all right?"
He snapped back into reality. "I'm fine." Zechs looked at Heero and said, "Relena may go with you. I have some errands for Pagan to run anyway." That wasn't exactly true, but he realized that Relena probably wanted to go with Heero instead of Pagan.
Relena smiled at her brother and followed Heero out to his car. After getting in, they drove off. Back inside Zechs was still thinking. Noin noticed the dark expression on his face and sat down next to him.
"Zechs, is something wrong?" she asked. Noin didn't ask him again when he made no reply. She sighed and left him to think about whatever he was thinking about.
The drive was quiet. They arrived at the mall in no time. Heero parked his car, and he took Relena to find his friends. As they walked around the bright air-conditioned building, Relena stopped a few times to look through some shops. Heero was in no hurry to meet his friends. He would rather be with her anyway. Relena stopped in front of a jewelry store and peered into a window.
"What are you going to buy for him?" Heero asked.
"Anything, I suppose. He loves everything I give him," Relena replied and started to walk again.
"I thought so," Heero declared falling in step with her.
Relena merely glanced at him and continued to walk. They passed by several more shops before they ran into Heero's friends at the food court.
"Hey, look! There's Heero and Relena," exclaimed Midii. Hilde looked up and smiled. She waved them over to their table.
"Heero! Oh, thank God you're here. You've got to help me. The rest of the guys ditched me, and now I'm stuck holding all the bags literally," Duo pleaded. He pointed at the pile of shopping bags next to the table.
"Where are they?" Heero asked.
"Trowa's practicing for a competition. Quatre has to look in on a meeting with his father. Wufei's grounded," Sally explained and made a face. "He insulted a friend of his mother. A woman no less."
"Couldn't keep his mouth shut, huh?" Heero said. He pulled Relena slightly forward who had been silent all this time.
"Hello," she greeted softly. Heero was surprised at her tone.
Dorothy also noticed the delicate voice. She smiled at Relena and said, "Hi, Relena. Have a seat." She scooted over and pulled her down. "What are you shopping for today?"
"A gift," replied Relena. She felt a bit uncomfortable with them. She didn't understand why. They were so friendly and kind. It didn't seem necessary to keep her cool demeanor on, so she tried to relax.
"For who?" Hilde asked from across the table.
"My guardian. For his birthday," she answered.
"We couldn't believe it when we found out that Zechs Marquise is your guardian. He's so dreamy and mysterious unlike someone," Hilde declared not looking at Duo.
"Hey, that someone is right next you," Duo said with a pout.
"Why don't you two gentlemen get us something to drink? We like to talk with Relena, right girls?" Dorothy demanded with a wicked grin.
"Right," they echoed except for Relena.
Duo grumbled under his breath and stood up. "Fine. Coming, Heero?" he asked, looking at his solemn faced friend. Heero glanced at Relena who wasn't looking at him.
"What would you like to drink, Relena?" he asked in a soft voice.
Relena finally looked at him and smiled. "Anything would be fine." Heero nodded and followed Duo to get the drinks.
Once the boys were out of earshot, Hilde turned back to Relena. "Like I was saying, your guardian is absolutely gorgeous, and I don't think that anyone here will disagree with me."
"You got that right, girlfriend," Sally laughed.
Dorothy and Midii laughed along. Relena didn't understand the laughter, but she couldn't disagree either. She was well aware of her brother's handsome looks and how they attracted women everywhere. Many women would be disappointed if they found out he was engaged. It was hard keeping the engagement a secret, but Milliardo and Noin were able to do it. They told her that they will finally get married after the Sank Kingdom is reclaimed and the Alliance crushed.
"So what are you going to buy?" Midii asked.
Relena hesitated. This was unusual for her, talking freely. Before coming to New Port, she was careful with what she said. She was usually her cold self. She didn't understand what was happening to her. It felt strange but in a good way.
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, Relena," Hilde declared when she saw Relena's hesitation.
"No...it's not that. I...I don't really know what to buy for him," Relena replied softly.
"True. He probably has everything he wants," Dorothy commented. "I mean, he is one of the richest men in the world, the in New Port."
'Not everything,' Relena thought as a sadness filled her. She was thinking about home. They wanted to go home so much, but it wasn't time yet.
"Relena, are you okay?" Midii asked as she noticed the sadness in her eyes.
Relena snapped out of her trance and nodded. "I'm fine."
"Why don't you join us? We could help you find a gift," Hilde suggested. She smiled hopefully at Relena. The other girls joined in, too.
Relena looked at their encouraging faces and couldn't find it in herself to refuse, so she nodded again. Just then Duo and Heero came back with their drinks and heard everything.
Duo was elated. "That's great. Now I don't have to carry everything."
"Wrong, Duo. Heero only has to carry things for Relena. You have to carry all of our bags," Dorothy said. She watched Duo go from happy to miserable in a second. "Come on, let's go."
All seven of them left the food court and started to stroll through the shops. The four girls were in front while Duo lagged behind with all the bags. Heero and Relena walked silently side by side. Occasionally, they stopped to look at possible gifts. When they stopped in front of another jewelry store, the girls dragged Relena inside to look for a watch. Relena decided she was going to buy a watch for her brother. The boys stayed outside and sat down on a wooden bench. Duo let an exhausted breath and looked over at Heero. The usually silent boy was watching the girls inside in particularly Relena.
"So, Heero, buddy, how's everything with Relena?" Duo asked with a wide grin. Heero glared at his best friend but didn't answer. Duo was not about to let the subject drop. He wanted to know what was happening between them. "Come on, Heero."
"It is none of your business, Duo," Heero declared impassively.
"Hey, can't a guy inquire about his best friend's love life? I mean, are you two serious or what? Hilde told me that Relena said that you two have no relationship whatsoever," Duo explained.
Time seemed to slow as Duo's words repeated over in Heero's mind. No relationship. No relationship. Heero unconsciously curled his hands into fists. It couldn't be. He was close in getting Relena to trust him, wasn't he? On the night of the dance she had lowered her guard slightly, and today she was willing to let him take her to the mall. So, no, it couldn't be.
"Heero, are you all right?" Duo asked when he noticed Heero's tightened fists. He scooted farther away as Heero turned his cold glare at him. Duo smiled cautiously and said, "You know what? Forget what I said. It really isn't my business anyway."
Heero didn't reply. Instead, he turned his attention back to Relena. His hands uncurled when he caught sight of her again. His heart raced a bit as she smiled at whatever Hilde just said. She picked up the neatly wrapped bag and walked out of the store. She moved over to Heero who stood up immediately. He took her bag for her and offered his arm. Relena smiled again and slipped her hand through. This time Heero's heart raced even more. They walked off as the others trailed behind them.
"Look at those two. Now why can't Wufei be like that?" Sally said aloud with a wistful look.
"That would the day," Midii declared with a laugh.
The others girls laughed, too but not Duo. He watched Heero and Relena with a careful eye. Those two were awfully close together, but from what Hilde told him and what he just saw from Heero, they couldn't be together, could they?
"What did you buy for him?" Heero questioned as they walked.
"A watch," she replied. "He has many, but I don't think that he will mind another one."
Heero noticed that they had arrived at the food court again. He checked his watch and asked if Relena wanted something to eat. She nodded, and they went to find a seat. The others joined them, and once again Dorothy made Duo and Heero leave to buy the food.
"Relena, can I ask you a question? It's sort of personal. You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Hilde said when the boys were gone.
Relena couldn't help but feel suspicious. Yet she nodded anyway. Hilde glanced at the other girls and swallowed before she said anything.
"Well, I know that you said there isn't anything between you and Heero, but I...I mean we can't help but think there is something. I don't want to offend you or anything, but it's just ever since you came, Heero's been acting kind of different. Are you sure there isn't anything between you two?" Hilde explained.
Relena didn't know what to say. To be honest, she didn't know herself. Heero was her bodyguard, but he was also more than that. He wanted to be her friend, but she told him that in order for him to be a friend to her, she would have to trust him. Did she trust Heero? It had become instinct to her not to trust people. To trust someone was dangerous. She knew that Heero would never harm her in any way, but did that qualify as trust? She wanted to trust him, wanted him as a friend. She felt lonely despite the company of Milliardo and Noin. They were always there for her, but what would it be like to have someone else? Someone like Heero? Sure, he gets on her nerves once in a while, but he was a great companion. Today and everyday proved that. So should she trust him? Should she let someone close to her?
"Relena, are you okay?" Sally asked when Relena was silent for a long time.
"Huh?" Relena looked up a bit confused at the concerned faces around her. Then she remembered Hilde's question and chewed on her bottom lip. What was going to be her answer?
"Hey, don't worry about it. You don't have answer. We understand," Midii stated, placing a hand over Relena's.
"No...no, I want to tell you," Relena stammered.
Everyone was astonished when they heard Relena stutter for the first time. Dorothy smiled encouragingly.
Relena took a deep breath and looked at all of them. "Heero is...well...he's not what you all think. Heero is...he's...he's my...my friend." She finished quietly and with certainty.
The word echoed in Heero's mind. Time did stop this time as he stared at her wide-eyed. Did she really say it? Was he a 'friend'? He couldn't stop the smile from reaching his face. Sheer bliss filled every part of his being.
Suddenly Duo cleared his throat to announce their presence. Heero snapped out his reverie when Relena looked up sharply. Her eyes widened when she saw him. Did he hear her?
"Oh, my goodness! Look at the time. We have to go now," Hilde said suddenly standing up and looking at her watch. She grabbed her bags and looped her arm through Duo's who was holding a takeout bag. "Come on, guys. Bye you two."
"Yeah. Bye," the other three girls said. They grabbed their bags and followed Hilde dragging a complaining Duo with her.
An awkward silence surrounded Heero and Relena. He stood there staring at her, and Relena couldn't break his gaze. Something passed between them, and Relena blinked. She tore her gaze away and looked down at her hands that were trembling. Why was she shaking all over?
"Did you mean that?" he asked so softly that she had to strain to hear his question.
Relena gathered up her courage and looked into those beautiful Prussian blue eyes. They held her gaze again. Heero looked at her as he tried to calm his racing heart.
She opened her mouth, but she couldn't form the words. Why was this making her so nervous? It shouldn't be. She already admitted it. It shouldn't be hard. So Relena smiled brightly and said, "What do you think, Heero?"
Heero took that as a yes and smiled just as brilliantly as her. She couldn't possibly know how happy she just made him. "I think I should take you home now."
Back at the mansion, Relena said goodbye to Heero and went inside where Zechs was waiting for her. He noticed the smile on her face and asked what had happened.
Relena looked at her brother and said with a small smile, "I made a friend." With that she went back to her room leaving her brother in absolute surprise and shock
Noin heard Relena and had to smile. "Well, that Heero Yuy is something else. Only took two months." Zechs made no response. He just stared at where Relena was standing when she gave him the news. Thoughts ran through his mind, and his mood grew darker.
Sorry for the long delay. I was stuck with a serious case of writer's block. It still hasn't gone away, so don't expect the next chapter to come out any time soon. I try my best, but no guarantees. I worked really hard on this, so please REVIEW!