Relena was working late in the Peacecraft mansion.
She had been going over
documents all night, and now it was well after midnight.
After working for nine hours straight, she found herself
getting hungry. She
walked down to the kitchen, all the cooks having left
hours before.
She didn't bother to turn on the light because she could
see by the moonlight
coming in through the window, but it left deep shadows
in the corners
of the kitchen.
Relena didn't notice Heero watching her from the hallway.
It had been a year
since he had last seen her. He didn't know where
she was in the
mansion when he broke in; he had gotten lucky when he
saw her walk into the
kitchen. The night was going well, he thought.
He watched her walk over to the refrigerator and open
the door, spilling golden
light on to the tile at her feet. Heero slipped
into the kitchen
behind her. She didn't hear him enter the room.
Heero couldn't take his eyes
off her. She was bathed in the light from the refrigerator,
looking
just like the angel everyone claimed she was. He stopped
when he heard her start
humming "Rhythm Emotion" softly.
She sorted items on the shelves, looking for something
she'd like that didn't
require much energy. Ah ha! the perfect food!
Cold Pizza!
He took a step closer so he could smell her hair.
It was driving him crazy. He
couldn't stop himself, and reached out to gently touch
her hair.
At his touch, Relena jumped, and in fright she spun around,
shoving cold pizza
in his face before taking up a fighting stance.
When she realized it
was Heero, she screamed "Heero Yuy! What are you
doing here in the middle of
the night?! You scared me to death!"
He pulled the pizza off his face and tried to say her
name but was cut off by
Relena's yelling.
Lights started to turn on and movement could be heard
from upstairs. Heero
started to get nervous. He grabbed Relena's hand and
pulled her out
the kitchen door, into the garden. He still had
pizza sauce, cheese, and an
olive on his face. He put his hand over Relena's
mouth to shut her up.
She didn't like that, and glared at him.
"Relena" he whispered, harshly. "What are you doing?"
She struggled against him, freeing her mouth enough to
talk. "What are *you*
doing?" she retorted.
"I..." he got lost in her eyes, his hand gently brushing
her cheek. "Relena...
I've come back for you."
She gaped at him. "What?"
"I realized, when I was away, that I can't live without
you. We can be together
now, Relena." They heard voices coming from inside.
"If your
brother doesn't kill me first!" he added as she pulled
his hand down.
"Who's out there?" Zechs called from inside. "Relena?
Is that you? Are you all
right?"
"It's just me." Relena answered. "Just taking a
break, Millardo. Sorry to wake
you. Go back to bed."
"Oh, ok. Just don't stay out too long" he said wearily.
"I won't!" Relena promised. "I'm coming back inside in a few minutes!"
They watched as he went back upstairs, lights shutting off to mark his progress.
Heero had not taken his eyes off of Relena the whole time.
She was protecting
him! He took that as a sign that Relena still loved
him. "Relena" he
whispered again, in awe as she looked at him.
"Will you stop saying my name?" she sounded irritated.
"Wha..." Heero said "But I..."
"First, you disappear whenever you want to" she began.
"But..."
"You never tell me where you're going, or for how long."
"I'm sorry..."
"You give me nothing, Heero!" she finally exploded.
"Except a teddy bear! My
*brother* gave me a teddy bear, Heero! You think you
can show
up here, in the middle of the night, and expect me to
be thrilled with you?"
"I'm not going to go anywhere. Not anymore."
Relena chose to ignore him. "What did you expect? That
you'd show up and I'd
jump into your arms?"
"I love you Relena" he said, hoping it would shut her up.
"You think you can sneak into my room in the middle of
the night, and I'd jump
into bed with you? Was that your plan? Don't
you 'I love you
Relena' me, Yuy!" She paused for breath, and didn't
notice Heero blushing.
"After I finish those diplomatic reports, I'm going to
bed! I have a
life." Heero blinked at her. "Good night, Mister Yuy."
She went inside and and
made sure to slam the door. "If you want to see me, call
my
secretary and set up an appointment like everybody else"
she yelled through the
door.
Just than a huge cloud broke, releasing a hard sheet of
rain. But Heero could
do nothing but stand and look at the space where she
had been,
completely dumbfounded.
Relena went up to her office, slapping the folders closed
and into a pile on her
desk. She started muttering to herself. "Bastard!
Perfect solider!
Perfect jerk is more like it!"
Heero finally walked up to the kitchen door and opened it.
Relena turned the lights off in her study and went down
the hall into her
bedroom to undress, and at least try and get some sleep.
He walked through the house and went upstairs. He found
her dark and empty
study, and decided to look for her bedroom. He
walked down the
halls listening for sounds. He heard something and opened
the door to find
Millardo asleep in the bed. He closed the door
very fast but didn't make
a noise. Heero wiped sweaty palms on his jeans,
and kept going down the hall
until he saw the room at the end of the hall, with light
showing
underneath the door.
'It *must* be Relena' he thought. He moved his hand
up to the handle, but
before he could reach it the door opened and Relena plowed
into him,
making her fall on her butt. Heero looked down
at her knowing that if she
screamed, Zechs would kill him.
She looked up at him with death in her eyes. He
bent down to help her up, but
she quickly pushed him away and scrambled to her feet.
He
couldn't hide the hurt he was feeling.
"What the HELL do you think you're doing?"
"Umm...."
"You're sneaking into my room!?" She glared at him. "I should call Millardo."
"NO, no! Relena, please!"
"Then tell me what you are doing in my house!"
"I told you! I need you. I...I love you, Relena."
"Oh, right you love me. How could I have forgotten?"
"Of course I do! You're the only thing I have ever loved!"
"Heero--give it up!"
"I love you more then...then Wufei loves Nataku! Then Maxwell loves his hair!"
"I don't know why you're doing this, but I know it's not
because you love me!
You don't know what love is."
"Then please explain why the hell I *am* doing this!"
"Get out of my house!" She pointed her hand down the hall.
"Maybe I don't really know what love is. But I do know
that if anyone can show
me what love is...you can." He looked like a kicked
puppy.
She rolled her eyes. "Heero, I'm too tired to play this game."
"I'm asking for another chance, Relena."
She walked back in her room and closed the door.
"Maybe I don't deserve it, but I'd like to think I do!"
Heero heedlessly shouted
through the door. He heard a door open, but didn't consciously
register the meaning. "I'll wait out here until you talk
to me, Relena!" Heero
called.
"The hell you will!" Zechs yelled.
Heero turned around to find Zechs right behind him. With the death glare. "Ulp."
"Heero Yuy!" Zechs shouted. "What are you doing here!
Why are you attempting to
assault my little sister!"
"I'm not assaulting her."
"Yes he is." Relena could be clearly heard from behind the door.
"You're yelling at her door in the middle of the night.
I'd say that's assault.
She obviously doesn't want you here, get out before I
kill you." He
waited to see if Heero would give up. He didn't.
"I'd do it anyway, but I
don't want to have to take all that time to hide the
body."
Heero got that stubborn look on his face. "No. I'm not going anywhere."
"What do you mean, 'no?'" Zechs's voice was low and quiet, and very dangerous.
Relena opened the door and stuck her head out. This would
be fun. "Are you still
here?" she asked Heero.
"Relena, I'm not moving until you believe me."
"Wanna bet?" Zechs growled. He got a good, firm grip on Heero's shirt.
"Fine!" Relena said. "Stay out there all you want."
"Relena!" Heero shouted desperately. "I love you! Marry me!"
"Millardo!" Relena yelled. "Do something!"
But Zechs was already smashing his fist into Heero's face.
Heero hit the wall
hard, his head bouncing a couple of times. Relena's
mouth dropped
open and she started to look worried. Heero looked
more then slightly dazed,
and a thin trickle of blood started flowing from his
nose.
"You don't really need to kill him do you? Maybe you could
just make him go
away." Relena suggested with a half smile, hoping he
would stop.
Zechs stopped to consider.
"Fine" he said. "I'll throw him out." He punched Heero
in the stomach for good
measure. "Are you sure you don't want him killed? He'll
keep
coming back."
"No." Relena turned back to her room.
"I'm sorry Relena" Heero groaned, trying not to drip too
much blood on the
carpet. "For everything."
Noin came out to see what was going on. "Zechs! Heero?"
Relena looked back at him. She started to feel bad.
"What's going on here?" Noin demanded. Heero hung
his head, accepting his fate,
and wishing for a self-destruct button that worked.
"Millardo, please just put him into one of the spare rooms
for the night." They
all turned to look at Relena.
"What!" Zechs groaned. He was a little disappointed.
"That's better" Noin said. "We'll discuss this in the morning."
It was decided he would stay in a room on the other end
of the hall, so that
Zechs and Noin's room lay in between Heero and Relena.
Zechs said he
would stay outside Heero's room all night to make sure
he didn't try anything.
"That's not necessary" Heero mumbled.
"Shut up you!" Zechs yelled, and shook him.
"I always knew I wasn't worth anything. This just proves
it." Relena's eyes grew
sad, and she turned away quickly. Heero turned
his back and
began to walk down the hall.
"Good night Heero." Relena said softly. Heero paused.
But she continued into
her room. Heero continued walking away, Zechs giving
him the
occasional push from behind.
*the next day*
Relena was a bit nervous about coming down to breakfast.
Wondering what to say
and do. But she didn't realize that Heero was even more
nervous. They meet in the hall on their way downstairs.
They couldn't look at
each other, they just walked side by side.
"Good morning" Heero whispered when they reached the foot
of the stairs. She
looked straight ahead, unresponsive. Heero could
feel his heart
breaking all over again.
All Relena could think was 'Don't fall for him, Don't
fall for him... he'll just
leave you again.' They walked down to the dinning
room and he let her
enter first, keeping his head down, looking at the ground.
Zechs, already in the dinning room, just wanted to get
this over with so he
could throw Heero out of the house.
Relena felt very self-conscious as she took her seat,
aware of every move Heero
made, just as he was of hers. Zechs just glared
as they sat across the
long table from each other, staring at the wood, not
daring to lift their heads.
Noin was trying to figure out to handle this, since someone
had to. She tried to
lift the heavy mood. She smiled and asked "How
is everyone?" No
one said anything. "Ok" she said, a little less hopeful.
She looked at Zechs
and found him eyeing Heero.
She kicked him under the table.
"Ow," he tried to rub his leg. "What the hell was that for?" She glared at him.
"Stop it!" She looked at Relena and then Heero. "You two,
stop this too! What's
going on!" They both looked at her, but said nothing.
Zechs took
it upon himself to tell what had happened.
"That boy broke in here last night, and attacked Relena
to do God knows what to
her!"
Heero flushed. "I just wanted to see her! I would never harm her!"
"He didn't attack me," Relena said softly. "He just..."
"Just what?" Zechs demanded.
"He's planing something. I don't know what, but
it has something to do with him
saying he loves me. Frequently." Noin smiled. Heero
blushed.
Zechs glared. Relena blushed, for good measure.
"It's all lies, Relena" Zechs announced.
"It is not!" Heero shouted.
"He doesn't know what that word means!"
"Baka! It's all true!"
"How would *you* know!"
"Didn't you abandon her too, once?"
"That was different!"
"How?" Relena snapped.
"It had to be done" Zechs protested.
"So you could go play war." Relena yelled. Noin
thought this was going to be
theraputic, so she held back and waited.
"I was fighting for peace, and you had to work for peace
without fighting, so
that someone would be left who was pure and who could
function
without a gun in their hand!"
"So you left me to take care of a world! A lot of good
that's done me!" Relena
was flushed in anger this time.
Heero let out a small smile. 'That's my girl,' he thought.
"What the hell are you smiling at!" Relena yelled to Heero. He paled.
"I...I just thought..."
"Now everyone just calm down!" Noin yelled. "Now, why
don't we," she looked at
Zechs, "let Relena and Heero talk."
"Never!" Zechs yelled as he stood up, knocking his chair over.
"Zechs!" Noin raised her voice again. "We'll be in the
living room if you need
us" she said to Relena and Heero.
"But Noin!"
"Now!" Noin yelled, grabbing Zechs's arm and pulling him
away with her, righting
the chair on the way. They walked to the living room,
leaving
Relena and Heero alone.
Heero looked at Relena, their eyes meeting for a moment.
before she looked down.
He decided to let her start this time.
She didn't know what to say, so she decided to let him
start. 'If he wants to
win my love, he will have to prove it' she decided.
They sat in complete
silence. She looked up at him, he felt her eyes
on him, so he looked up. When
their eyes meet she looked down again.
His eyes softened, taking her in. She was so beautiful.
She looked back up at
him their eyes finally locking. Heero wanted to
smile, but couldn't
remember how. Neither could look away, neither
wanted to. A small smile
slipped through her mouth.
"I missed you" Heero whispered. Her smile left her face.
Heero's eyes widened
in panic. What had he done now?! Heero didn't think
he said
something wrong, so why couldn't he say anything right?
He felt a pain in his
chest. His eyes fell, and he stared at his lap
again. His heart was
aching. He would have to go away, after all, so that
he'd never hurt her again.
"Heero..." He couldn't breath. Relena winced--she
hadn't meant to say that.
He looked up at her, hopeful. But she just looked down.
His face fell
and he looked down again. She started chewing her lower
lip. She let out a
sigh. He looked up at her again, waiting.
He would take whatever she
would give him.
"This is stupid. We're acting like children" she said
softly. He nodded
encouragement. "I don't know why you're here..."
Heero closed his eyes in pain. Hadn't he made that clear?
"...But I want you to stop," she continued. He nodded,
slowly. It was difficult
to swallow around the lump in his throat. "There is no
need to....If you
need something, just ask." He looked at her blankly.
"There is no need for all
this nonsense."
"I need you" he said, very softly, still puzzled. He tried to appear unafraid.
"You've never needed me before. Why now?"
"I've always needed you" he corrected. "Ever since
the beach. You were the
only human connection I had."
"That's why you said you would kill me?"
He winced. "I expected to die soon."
"You are always expecting to die."
"But I couldn't stop thinking about you, even when I was
driving away, I
couldn't concentrate."
"You want me to believe that you just changed your mind?"
He shrugged. "I kept trying to die, and it never
worked. I guess I decided I
might have a reason to live."
"If you loved me then you would have told me that when
I told you how I felt.
But instead..."
"I was still expecting to die then."
"You told me I didn't love you and then you left me!"
Her voice was starting to
rise.
"I didn't want you to get hurt" he replied, stone faced.
"You hurt me more by leaving."
"I didn't know what it was. That it was...this.
I thought you were just
infatuated with danger."
"I couldn't live waiting for you forever. I had to move on."
Heero froze, unable to move, breath, or keep his heart
beating. There was a
sick feeling in his stomach. Living alone in misery
was one thing, but
living while knowing someone else had Relena...
"You mean you...is there
someone else?"
She ignored him, though. "I would have died for
you! Is that what you call
'infatuation?'"
"I would died for you. I killed for you. Now,
I think I'd like to try living
for you."
She gasped. Did he really just say what she thought
he said? "What?" Relena
asked, just above a whisper.
Heero swallowed. "I meant it."
"W-what did you say?" She was fighting tears.
"I want to live for you now, Miss Peacecraft. If
you'll allow it." Her eyes
turned glassy. Her bottom lip started to quiver.
Heero dropped his eyes.
She got up, keeping her eyes on him.
Heero closed his eyes, believing she was leaving him for good.
She walked over to him, stopping at his side. He held
still, waiting for her.
She bent down next to him.
"Would you ever go away again?"
"Only if you tell me to."
"I don't want you to go anywhere." He sucked in a breath,
and looked up at her
quickly. She smoothed his hair from his face.
He leaned into her
hand. "Stay."
He brushed his lips across her wrist and nodded, unable
to speak. He wrapped
his arms around her waist and pulled her against him.
She leaned
down to his face, brushing her lips over his. She closed
her eyes as he pulled
her down into his lap.
"I do love you" he whispered.
Zechs had gotten nervous not hearing any voices, and chose
that moment to enter.
When he saw Heero and Relena he grew very red.
"What the
hell are you doing to my sister?" Noin quickly
ran in, and pulled Zechs out
again, hissing "Leave them alone!"
Heero and Relena didn't seem to know that Zechs had seen them.
"Marry me." Heero asked again.
"We'll see." Relena gently smiled, and he kissed her.
*the end*
