There was a war going on.
Not with swords, cannons, or guns.
With words.
Heero had told Sylvia that morning that he would no longer be partners with her and she proceeded to tell him exactly what she thought of him in the highest pitch anyone had ever heard. By noon, her screeching had become a famous speech and people were being to stage re-enactments. Sylvia glowered at everyone within two feet, Heero ignored it all, and Relena simply smiled nervously.
After their late session on the ice, Heero had asked her to be his partner. She had been scared at first. He had been skating for years while she had only skated for an hour, and what would her parents say? Luckily, she had found an answer to that one. They could not stop her from doing something they didn't know about. She would simply tell them that she was going to a friend's house, or the library. Nice, safe activities, that most parents would applaud.
There was only one problem.
She would have to lie to them, and her conscience was nagging at her. On top of that, Heero would have to be kept in the dark about her condition, and she wasn't sure how long she could resist those dark eyes that missed nothing. Sooner or later, he would find out, and then what? What would all those lies be worth? Still, she hadn't been able to say no. They were partners now and he had asked her to practice with him after school.
Partners.
She smiled to herself slightly. It had surprised her that he had asked her. He was levels above her, and yet, she knew he was more relaxed with her than with Sylvia. She had seen them practice once, and their dancing had been almost a battle of wills. There had been no cooperation, only a clash of strengths. Totally unlike what she had felt skating with Heero the night before. How could Sylvia not appreciated the feeling of flying with Heero by her side?
"Relena! Wait up!"
She glanced over her shoulder to spot Hilde running to catch up with her, dark hair flying. Relena smiled at her new friend. "Hey, what's going on?"
"Just wanted to warn you." Hilde puffed, out of breath. "Sylvia found out that Heero dumped her for you and she's a little…upset." A grimace gave the understatement to her words. Relena shrugged.
"I'm not worried, Hilde. After all, Heero was the one to ask me. If anything, she should be furious with him."
"Oh, she is, extremely, but you're the one who took her place. That's not easy for her to swallow." Hilde's eyes twinkled. "But I must say, I never thought you had it in you. Thwarting the Queen like that."
Relena shook her head and smiled. "Well, it wasn't hard," she said, teasingly, "for a princess."
* * * *
"Are you ready?"
Relena looked up to see Heero waiting for her on the ice, strands of dark hair in his eyes. He looked comfortable and relaxed, despite the fact that she was so nervous she wasn't sure she had her skates on the right feet. Trying to smile bravely for him, she stepped out onto the ice by his side, feeling the cold stillness curl around her fingers. Heero looked at her a moment, seeming to sense her nervousness, and his voice echoed though the rink.
"To be partners, means we must have complete faith in each other," he said. Again, he reached out for her hand.
"Do you trust me?"
Her voice was soft when she answered. "Yes," and she took his hand.
* * * *
They practised together for weeks, learning each other's moves and gaining the other's trust. Relena became so in tune with Heero she could often anticipate what he wanted before he said it. They moved with the grace of pairs that had been skated together for years and all who saw it wondered at it. For his part, Heero had never felt more alive than when Relena was in his arms. She was lighter than Sylvia and she trusted him with the innocence of one who had never been betrayed. In return, he never so much as let her waver before he was by her side, giving her his support. They were a team.
They were partners.
Everyone thought so, except for one, and she watched them with jealous eyes.
Then the night came that changed everything.
They had been practicing for about half an hour when Heero suggested they try a lift. Nothing elaborate, but he felt she was ready, so she agreed. They moved together, the wind tangling in their hair, and Heero slipped his arms around her waist and lifted her, with the smooth motion of corded muscles. Involuntarily, she gave a little cry of glee. Surely there was no other feeling like this in the world. And Heero was with her, as always, a solid wall of strength to her back. She trusted him blindly and knew it. Just as he trusted her.
A flash of red out of the corner of her eye warned her. Someone slammed into Heero and he pitched forward, off balance and trying to recover. His right blade caught a rut in the ice and there was nothing he could do. He went down and so did she.
Her unyielding support was suddenly gone and she had no time to cry out as she hit the ice, the air rushing out of her lungs, her vision flickering…
* * * *
The moment he could breath again, he was on his feet, his body weaving back and forth at the sudden upright position. Though his body had not yet recovered from the hard fall, his mind had, and he felt anger course through him as his eyes settled on Sylvia who was skating away as fast as she could, the red skirt of her skating outfit whipping behind her.
"Sorry!" she called over her shoulder, a mock expression of shock on her face. "I didn't see you."
He growled low in his throat and turned away from her, shutting her out of his life for good. Immediately he saw Relena sprawled across the ice and he went to her, his feet somehow getting him to her side though he felt very uncoordinated. He flung himself down beside her, calling her name, and felt his anxiety lessen as he saw that her eyes were open and she was breathing, if somewhat too fast.
"Heero…" she gasped, "I can't…" She placed a hand over her heart and look of pain crossed her face. "…breath…please…"
"Relena, calm down. Take deep breaths," he told her, slipping his arms under her body and cradling her head in his lap. His fingers brushed over her scalp and he almost cried out with relief that she did not have a concussion. Damn Sylvia and her stupid games!
"Heero…please…" Relena was saying, breath coming harsh in her throat. Heero frowned.
"Relena, where does it hurt? What is it?"
Her faced paled as her hand clenched over her chest and her eyes closed. "My…heart…"
In a flash, he scooped her up, avoiding the edges of her skates, and started for the rink entrance, shouting at anyone who could hear him. "Help! I need help!"
Relena groaned in his arms and he held her tighter. They were partners, they did everything together, and he would not leave her in this.
"Someone help!"
Hold on, Relena…
* * * *
"That was a close call, Relena. I would hate to think what would have happen if that young man of yours hadn't gotten you here so quickly."
"Yes, Doctor, I know."
"Now as for your ice skating…well, you know what I'm going to say."
Quietly. "Yes."
"I'll leave it up to you to tell your parents, but I will tell you, another episode like this could be dangerous, Relena. Next time, you might not be so lucky."
"Is Heero still here?"
"He's just outside. He wouldn't stay in the Waiting Room so the nurses pulled up a chair for him in the hallway. You can see him now."
"Thank you."
"And…Relena?"
"Yes?"
"You'll have to tell him."
* * * *
Heero stood the moment the door opened and his heart leapt as Relena emerged, pale and weary, but alive and breathing normally. She gave him a wane smile and he went to her side, standing carefully a few feet away.
"Are you alright?"
Instead of nodding, she looked away, tears glittering in the corners of her eyes. "No, I'm not, Heero." When he remained impassive, she went on. "When I was little, I had rheumatic fever, it left me with a heart condition. The valves of my heart are weaker than a normal person's and sometimes it beats irregularly. 'Atrial fibrillation' they call it. Before I knew all this, I lived in Europe and went to school at a dance academy. I danced ballet for years when my heart stopped in the middle of a recital. My parents were frightened and they pulled me out of school and
moved here. They wanted me to forget." The tears rolled down her cheeks and he could barely restrain himself from going to her. "But I can't. Ballet was my life, and… I thought…maybe skating could be, too." She gave a sad little half-sob. "But I was wrong. I can't dance anymore, and I can't skate. I'm sorry, Heero."
She turned and hurried away, and for a moment, he was completed stricken as he watched her leave him behind. She was leaving him…
In a moment of instant decision, he strode after her, catching up to her in the hospital parking lot. He grabbed her waist and turned her around, forcing her to look at him. The moonlight turned the tears on her cheeks to diamonds and her golden hair to silver. Her eyes pleaded with him.
"Heero, I'm sorry, but I can't…"
"I don't care," he said, harshly, his eyes boring into hers. She blinked.
"What?"
"I don't care, Relena. I don't care what your doctor says, or your parents." He reached up and smoothed a tear away with his thumb. "We're partners, we're in this together, and I won't let you give up." His voice softened. "You can do this, Relena. If you want it bad enough, you can do anything."
"Heero," she whispered.
He drew her gently into the protective circle of his arms, bent down, and pressed his lips gently against hers. She leaned into him and curled her arms around his neck as he kissed away her tears in the starlight.
It was only later that she realized he had given her something infinitely more precious.
Hope.