Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Borrowed Hearts
Chapter 10
The next night Heero was in his study trying to concentrate on his work. He wasn't succeeding. His mind kept drifting back to last night. After Relena had gone to bed, he laid awake on the couch inside his closet, thinking about how to get her and Evan to stay. He thought about telling her that he loved her, but he wasn't entirely sure about her feelings. He didn't want to make any mistakes. Heero needed them like he needed air. He didn't feel alive without them. So, how was he going to do this? An idea came to mind late last night, but he wasn't sure if it'd work. Heero glanced up when he heard the doors open. A blond head poked in.
"Is there something you want, Evan?" he asked the boy.
"Is Ebony here?" Evan asked back. Heero pointed up at the bookcase where the cat was resting quietly. Evan slipped in and called for Ebony. The cat looked down at him, yawned, and went back to sleep.
Heero smiled as Evan tried again to beckon the cat down. She didn't. As he watched silently, his idea suddenly came to mind. It could work if... "Evan, why don't you leave Ebony alone? It doesn't look like she wants to play." Evan pouted and started to leave when Heero called him back. Evan walked over, and Heero picked him up and set him down on the desk. "Can I ask you a question?"
Evan nodded. Heero opened his mouth to ask, but then he changed his mind. How could he phrase it? He was silent for a few seconds, and Evan wondered what was wrong.
"Okay, Evan. Answer as honestly as you can," Heero ordered. "Do you like living here with me?" Evan nodded again, and Heero smiled. "Do you like me being your dad?"
Evan's gaze dropped down to his lap and didn't say anything. Heero asked him again. "Mommy says you're not my daddy." Well, not until he got him and Mommy under the mistletoe, but he didn't say that to Heero.
"Would you like me to be your daddy?" questioned Heero. He knew he was taking a big chance asking Evan. The boy was still young, and he knew that Evan didn't really understand everything that was happening.
Evan looked up sharply and stared at Heero. Did he know about the mistletoe?
"Evan, would you like me to be your dad?" Heero asked again.
Evan smiled brightly and nodded vigorously. If Heero wanted to be his daddy, who was he to say no? "Do you mean it? You'll be my daddy for real?"
Heero returned the smile equally as bright. "Yes, I mean it."
"Yay!" Evan jumped off the desk and threw his arms around Heero.
Heero burst out laughing and settled Evan on his lap. He couldn't believe it. He was going to have a son as soon as the second part of his idea worked out. He held Evan close to him and sighed happily.
Inside the kitchen Relena was baking more holiday cookies with Quatre when she looked at up suddenly. She could swear she just heard laughing.
"Is something wrong?" Quatre asked from his seat at the kitchen table. He was putting icing on the cookies when he noticed her stop kneading the dough.
"Did you heard someone laughing a second ago?" Relena questioned. He shook his head. She picked up a towel and wiped her hands. "I'll be right back."
Relena left the kitchen and walked over to the study. The doors were opened. She hesitated for a moment before sticking her head in. She saw Evan sitting on Heero's lap. Both of them were smiling. That was strange as she felt a hint of suspicion enter her head. "What's going on here?"
Both of them looked up at her voice. "Nothing," Heero replied, cheerfully.
Two aquamarine eyes narrowed at his answer. "Really?" Relena wondered why he was acting as if nothing happened last night. He was happy, too happy for Relena's peace of mind.
"Of course. We were just having a man to man talk, weren't we, Evan?" Heero turned to the boy who was grinning and nodding. "See? Just talking."
Relena wanted to say more, but it did looked like they were just talking. What they were talking about was what worried her. She sighed and shook her head. "All right. Dinner should be ready in about in hour." Relena closed the doors and headed back to the kitchen.
The image of Evan sitting happily on Heero's lap floated into her mind, and she smiled. Her son really loved Heero just like she did. Relena felt her eyes water and her heart constrict. How in the world was she going to make herself leave in a few day? How was she going to get Evan to leave? Then she remembered what Heero had said last night.
Don't make me let you go.
He had to have said it in the heat of the moment. She certainly wasn't thinking clearly after the kiss. 'But what if he meant it?' her heart told her. Relena quickly shoved that thought away. No, she meant what she said last night. She didn't want hurt between them. Feeling somewhat resolved, she walked into the kitchen to start dinner.
"I think Mommy knows," Evan said after Relena had left. "She's really smart."
"Yes, she is," Heero agreed, setting Evan on the desk again.
"Are we going to be a family now?" asked Evan happily.
Heero smiled at the question. He wondered himself. Relena was being stubborn, so he wasn't sure if his idea was going to pan out. However, he was just as stubborn, and now he had Evan on his side. Evan would help him convince Relena that she belonged with him.
"Almost," he answered when Evan repeated his question. "There's just one problem."
"Can I help? Mommy says I'm good at solving problems," Evan declared eagerly.
"Really? Well, then I will need your help after all," replied Heero. Evan looked at him expectantly. "You see, your mom needs a little convincing. She doesn't really understand that you two should stay with me and be a family together."
"Then we'll make her understand!" exclaimed Evan. "We can use mistletoe."
Heero blinked. Mistletoe? His mind suddenly flashed back to the kiss last night. He smiled as a mischievous thought popped up. Mistletoe will certainly help him very much. "You're right, Evan. We can use it."
Evan nodded in delight. "There's some hanging over the living room door. Mr. Winner helped me put it up." He paused and thought about whether he should tell Heero about Mr. Winner. "I think Mr. Winner is an angel."
"Is that so? Do you think he's here to help us?" Heero asked, smiling at the thought of Quatre being an angel. But then again there was something about the man, something heavenly. Evan nodded again. "Okay, then. Listen carefully. Here's what we're going to do." Heero began to tell Evan his idea slowly so he would understand.
By the time Heero was done, he was hopeful that his idea would work out.
***
After a delicious dinner, all four of them settled to the living room. With a little coaxing from Evan, they ended up playing a game of Monopoly. Evan partnered up with Quatre, forcing Relena to team up with Heero. After awhile, team Evan was winning by a landslide. They had bought up most of the properties and had the most money.
"You landed on Boardwalk, Mommy. You have to pay $1200," Evan declared happily.
Relena sighed heavily because she knew that they didn't have it. Heero picked up the rest of their property and money and handed them to a beaming Quatre.
"Yippee! We won!" exclaimed Evan, jumping up and down.
"How did that happen?" Relena asked Heero. He just shrugged and sighed, too. He and Quatre started to put away the pieces.
"Don't be sad, Mommy. You'll win next time," Evan reassured her with a smile.
Relena smiled back. "All right, sweetie. It's time for bed." She got up and held her hand out. "Say goodnight."
"Can Mr. Winner tuck me in?" Evan asked when he noticed Heero smiling at him.
"Now, Evan..."
"I don't mind," Quatre interrupted suddenly.
Evan looked at Relena hopefully. Relena just sighed and nodded. Evan grabbed Quatre's hand and began to pull the man out. Relena watched them go upstairs and reminded Evan to brush his teeth. She walked back to living room and saw Heero leaning against the sofa.
"I think I'll head off to bed as well," Relena said. She didn't it would be wise to be alone with Heero. She didn't want a repeat of last night.
"It's still early," Heero replied. He turned around and looked at her. "We can talk."
"I don't think we have anything to talk about," she declared quietly.
"Please." Heero gestured at the spot next to him.
Relena looked carefully at Heero. He seemed sincere enough. She forced herself to look into his eyes. They were warm and loving? That wasn't possible. She had to be seeing things. Maybe it was the lighting in the room.
"Relena, please," he repeated huskily.
His tone was a good enough indication, but with a heavy sigh and knowing she was going to regret this, Relena sat down next to him.
Heero smiled to himself. She was starting to give in. He reached over and handed her a cup of tea. She thanked him and took a sip.
"Quatre will be leaving on Christmas. He's going to take a flight at night," Heero informed her to break the silence between them.
"I guess you're happy that all this is going to be over soon," Relena replied softly, staring into the fire.
"Is that what you really think?"
Relena made no reply. She continued to stare into the fire. The flames flickered, and the embers popped. She didn't know what to say. The truth wasn't going to help. She loved him. He may want her to stay and work things out, but that didn't mean he loved her. Relena just couldn't take that chance. It's not just her happiness at sake but also her son. Evan would be crushed when they had to leave, but better now than later.
"Things will be different despite what you think. We'll see each other all the time, and unless you quit, you can't avoid me." Heero looked at her. He reached over and gently turned her head toward him until they were face to face. As he gazed into her eyes, he repeated what he said last night. "Don't make me let you go."
"Heero..."
He leaned in until there was only an inch between their faces. He felt her tremble underneath his hand. Heero knew he shouldn't be doing this, but she was being stubborn, and if this was the only way she was going to listen, then he had no choice.
Relena heard her breathing speed up as he leaned closer. She should stop him, but for some reason she couldn't move.
'That's because you want him to kiss you,' her mind said.
'No, I don't,' Relena shot back.
'Yes, you do. So just let him, and get whatever memories you can.'
Relena stopped thinking when she felt his lips touch hers. Her eyes drifted closed, and she let out a soft sigh.
Heero felt her surrender and deepened the kiss. He was going to make her see that they belonged together, one way or another.
Meanwhile upstairs, Quatre was tucking Evan into bed. The boy crawled between the sheets and waited until Quatre was sitting on the bed. He smiled up at him and wondered how things were going with his mom and Heero. He had deliberately asked Quatre tuck him in, so that Heero could make his mom "understand" that they should stay here and be a family.
"All right, Evan. Ready for bed?" Quatre asked, smiling down at him.
Evan nodded and snuggled under his blanket. "Can I ask you a question, Mr. Winner?"
"Of course. What's your question?"
"Do you believe in angels?" Evan asked and watched Quatre carefully. This was his chance to really figure out if Quatre was an angel or not.
Quatre's expression didn't change as he answered, but there was a slight twinkle in his eyes. "Angels? Well, I suppose I do believe in them."
Evan grinned happily at his reply. "Are they real?"
"Their existence is a state of mind," replied Quatre. At Evan's puzzled expression, Quatre laughed softly and added, "They're real if you want them to be."
Evan was still confused. How can an angel be real if he wants one to be? Didn't angels come from heaven? "I don't understand."
"Just think about it." Quatre stood up and walked to the door. "Goodnight, Evan." He shut the lights off and closed the door.
Evan laid in his bed, thinking about what Quatre said. Soon, he fell asleep, still thinking.
Back down in the living room, Heero had cupped Relena's face with both hands and angled his head to kiss her more deeply. She was gripping his shoulders as she leaned in closer to him. Suddenly he pulled away to catch his breath, but he didn't move too far away. Heero could feel her rapid breathing fan his face. He waited until Relena opened her eyes and looked at him.
"Don't deny what's between us," Heero whispered against her lips.
"It'll never work," she whispered back.
"Let time be the judge of that."
"I don't want Evan to get hurt."
"I would never hurt him."
"And I don't want..."
"I would never hurt you," Heero added. He traced her lips with his thumb. "Please, give me a chance."
"I just..." Relena saw the pleading in his eyes and the sincerity of his words, but old fears and doubts surfaced again. "I just don't know!" She pulled away and rushed upstairs to her old room. She leaned against the door and took a deep breath.
"What's wrong with you, Relena Peacecraft? You love him, but you're too afraid of the future to give yourself a chance at happiness," she said to herself. Relena slid down until she was sitting on the floor. "Don't I want to be happy?" She wrapped her arms around her knees and cried.
Heero leaned away from the door, feeling shock and rather happy, too. He had followed Relena after she left him, and he knew he shouldn't be listening through doors, but he did it anyway. He started to walk back to his room. Heero felt like he was on cloud nine. A smile formed on his face, and it kept getting bigger. She loved him. She really loved him!
Heero was so ecstatic that he didn't notice Quatre standing in the hallway until he walked past him. He stopped suddenly and turned to the man, his eyes wide and his smile fading. "Quatre. How long have you been standing there?"
Quatre smiled innocently. "Not long. I just put Evan to bed. Are you heading off to bed as well?"
"It's not what you think," Heero replied, deliberately ignoring the question.
The smile stayed in place. "Happiness and innocence, Heero. Don't lose them." With that Quatre headed off to his own room.
Heero stood rooted to the spot as he watched him walk away. Those two words. Quatre had said them to him before. Did that mean he knew?
"Oh, one more thing, Heero," Quatre said suddenly, stopping at his bedroom door. He turned around and added, "A family is a family. No matter what the circumstances. That's what I think anyway."
He knew. Heero smirked at his words. "Thank you." Quatre just nodded and disappeared into his room. Heero glanced over his shoulder and looked toward Relena's and Evan's rooms. They were his family, and like he said before, he wasn't letting them go.