Chapter 3

Heero awoke to find himself in a soft bed of pale sheets. Comfortable, cuddly pillows supported his head. His shoulder had bandage wrapped around it, and he felt a lot better. Before, his head had been spinning, his shoulder crying out in pain, he had been wet, cold and weak. He had felt what it was like to be dead. But the feeling had left him now. Now he felt alive. His shoulder felt as good as new. The wound had stopped bleeding, and was slowly healing.

A familiar, subtle scent of lavender awoke Heero fully. The former gundam pilot took a deep breath and filled himself with the scent. He relaxed a little, and took notice of his surroundings. The room he lay in was big, but simple. To his left was a tall rectangular glass door that led to a balcony. To his right was another door that was half open, and lead to the bathroom. Heero sat up and saw a chair with new, clean clothes on. He decided to get clean himself up, and change out of his dirty, muddy clothes.

'She didn't have to do this.' Heero thought as he left his room. He knew all too well where he was, but wasn't quite sure how he got here. The last thing he had seen was a beautiful angel, kneeling by his side out in the storm.

Heero shrugged off the thought, and walked quietly across the large upstairs corridor towards the stairs that would take him to the lounge downstairs. As he came to the top of the banister, he could see part of the living room below him. He walked a bit further down to see the whole room. But after his first few steps, Heero froze. Down below him, sat the angel that he had seen before. He sat with her back facing him reading a book.

'Relena? I thought Relena was an angel?' Heero thought, 'Well...I thought right then.' Heero then carried on walking down the stairs. He walked as if he were on air. No sound was heard, that was until he stepped onto the creaky stair. A loud creak echoed through the entire room.

"The perfect soldier is losing his touch." Relena said mockingly, for she knew it was Heero. Whenever Heero was around, Relena could feel it. A sense of that she was being watched came over her whenever Heero was present.

Heero said nothing as he continued down the stairs, silently cursing himself for that careless mistake.

"Would you like something to eat or drink Heero? You've been asleep for 2 days."

"Something to eat would be nice." Heero said coldly. 'I've been asleep for 2 days?'

Relena then headed for the kitchen. Heero decided to sit down next to where Relena had been sitting and decided to make himself at home.

'Why are you doing this to me Relena?'

Relena soon returned from the kitchen with a tray that held Heero's meal. She set it down on a coffee table in front of where they were sitting, and sat next to Heero, who quickly dug into his meal. Relena couldn't help but smile.

'Who would have thought Heero could be so normal? I would have thought he would have left by now. I just hope he stays…' Relena thought to herself.

Heero finished his meal fairly quickly and then leaned back into the sofa and relaxed.

"You eat fast." Relena said breaking the silence that had come over the two.

"Hn. I haven't anything that good in ages." A smile came across his face, as did Relena's. The girl rose and cleared everything away. She came back and sat beside Heero.

"Any idea of what you want to do?" Relena questioned the boy sitting next to her. He gave her a questioning look back. "Well you're not going anywhere with your shoulder like that." Heero remained silent trying to think of something to say. Then Relena hit him playfully on his good shoulder with one of the pillows on the sofa. "Come on Heero! You can't stay silent your whole life!"

"You're going to wish you never hit me." Heero said threateningly, as he hit Relena back.

"Hey! No fair!" Relena tried to hit Heero again, but he swiftly moved out of the way. The former gundam pilot had a challenging look on his face.

"You want me? Come and get me!" Heero said as he sprinted out of the living room and up the stairs.

"Heero come back!" Relena shouted as she ran after him. This little game continued into the early afternoon getting more playful every minute. Relena wondered around her mansion trying to find Heero.

"Heero? Where are you? Come out, come out where ever you are?"

"I'm right behind you." said a monotone voice. Relena spun round, only to be pinned to the floor by Heero. "You're so childish Relena..." Heero said taunting her.

"Speak for yourself!" Relena said out of breath. Relena had a sudden evil idea to get free of Heero's grip. The princes clutched her pillow tightly. Heero noticed she had a crafty look on her face, but before he knew what was happening, pain surged up his shoulder. His grip on Relena loosened, and she rolled to the side, and ran for her life.

"You're gonna pay for that Relena!" Heero shouted after her as he rolled on his side holding his shoulder. When his shoulder had stopped throbbing with pain, Heero went downstairs and found Relena sprawled out on the sofa. Relena heard Heero come down the stairs and said.

"Heero...I'm too tired to play anymore."

"But I'm not finished yet Relena." The boy walked over to the sleepy girl and scooped her up in his arms and threw her over his shoulder.

"Heero! Let me go! Where are you taking me? Heero!" Relena shouted while trying to contain her laughter.

"Oh, nowhere special, just..." By this time, Heero had climbed up the stairs and along the corridor to his room. The former gundam pilot opened the door and walked over towards the balcony. He opened that door and stood on top of the balcony wall. Relena noticed that Heero had taken her outside.

"Heero?" Relena said with a hint of fear in her voice.

"Hold on tight." Heero said, and without warning jumped off the balcony, and landing on the soft grass below.

"Heero!" Relena screamed as Heero jumped off the balcony. When Heero landed on the grass, Relena found herself in a state of shock. "Don't ever do that again!" Heero smiled at her remark, but said nothing. For a moment, Heero stood still as if he were listening for something, but then continued to his destination. Relena saw that Heero was taking her towards the back of her garden.

'Oh no...he wouldn't do that, would he? He wouldn't.' Relena thought as she realised what Heero was intending to do to her. Forgetting where she was, Relena shouted.

"Heero! Let me go! Now!"

"You sure you want me to do that?" A smile spread across his face.

"Yes I'm sure! Now let me go!"

"As you insist."

Heero then threw Relena into her pool that he was standing at the edge of. As he watched her splash around in the pool, a new found emotion over came Heero. The former gundam pilot broke down in laughter. The boy with supposedly no emotions was rolling around on the ground in laughter. As Relena surfaced, the sight before her shocked her.

'Heero? Heero's laughing? Help! It's the end of the world!' Relena thought, 'If that's how he wants to play, then two can play that game.' The young princess then noticed how dangerously close Heero was to the edge of the pool. She paddled over to where Heero was rolling about, and stood up in the shallow water. Her wet clothes stuck to her body outlining every curve. Relena then grabbed Heero's leg and pulled him in as well, and scrambled out and lay down on the grass away from the edge.

'That child is so evil.' Heero thought as he climbed out of the pool completely drenched, 'I'll get her.'

"I think we're even now Heero." Relena said as she closed her eyes. Heero walked over to her and knelt down beside the girl lying on the grass. He placed his hands either side of her shoulders, and looked at her face.

Relena felt a small drop of water land on her cheek.

'What was that? Its not raining, because the sun is shining.' Relena opened her eyes, and came face to face with Heero.

"We are far from even Relena." Heero said looking her straight in the eye. Before Relena could reply, Heero's lips were on hers. His hand came behind her head to stop her from escaping.

'This is his idea of getting even?" Relena thought. The kiss was only brief, but it seemed to go on forever in Relena's mind. Although it was sudden, it wasn't rushed. Only soft and gentle…

"That's your idea of getting even!?" Relena said angrily once Heero had pulled away. Then she realised that she had just said her thoughts out loud. Heero was confused.

'If she didn't like it then why did she respond?'

"I'm sorry Relena, I...I...I'll go and....er...I'll go and change. See you later." As Heero turned to go back inside, he felt his cheeks glow bright red. He walked quickly inside, leaving a dazed Relena sitting outside.

"Wow," she said, "We'll have to get even more often." Relena said to herself, and followed Heero inside the house.