Disclaimer: Characters do not belong to me.
Author's Notes: I'm so glad people are reading and enjoying!! I hope you keep up with the story. This might be the last time I update before the holidays, so have a very merry Christmas, ya'll!!! Take care:)
****
Be My Downfall
by Kristen Elizabeth
****
"Madam President, I can only hope that all of this will finally convince you that you simply have to get sufficient rest and nutrition, not just when it's convenient for you, but every single day," Relena's doctor reprimanded her.
She nodded listlessly. "Of course. Every day."
"I'm quite serious," the doctor went on. "Although I believe this migraine came about because you haven't been taking proper care of yourself, I can't say with absolute certainty that it had nothing to do with the…pathogen in your body. I have two of my best scientists working on the case, but without knowing enough about its properties, there's no way to tell how it will affect you in the future, especially if your system is weakened in any way."
"I understand." Relena touched her forehead; thanks to the strongest pain reliever that the private clinic boasted, her headache was fading. "When can I go home, doctor?"
The man sighed. "I'll discharge you in an hour, but not until after I see you eat something. All right?" She nodded again. "I'll have a nurse bring you a tray from the cafeteria. Until then, try to rest." He made a note on her chart. "Oh, and the man who brought you here is still waiting in the lobby."
"Heero?" Relena looked down at her hands. "Has he…been here this whole time?"
"Organizing a security sweep of the building, asking for constant updates on your condition, and being a general pain in the...." The doctor tucked her chart under his arm. "Would you like me to send him in?"
She took a breath. "All right."
The man smiled and disappeared through the curtain he'd pulled around her bed for privacy. Relena took a moment to smooth down her hair and make sure the hospital gown covered as much of her body as possible. She probably looked horrible with tearstains and dark circles under her eyes, but there wasn't much she could do about that. It was bad enough that she'd tried to make herself more presentable at all. It would be wasted on a man who cared nothing for her physically.
Heero entered the curtained-off area and looked around, suspicious. "There's no nurse. Who's watching you?"
"I'm fine; I don't need anyone to hold my hand." Relena studied him. "Why are you still here?"
"My assignment is a twenty-four hour one."
She stared at him for another second before her chin dropped her chest. A rueful smile appeared on her lips. "At least I can't ever say you led me on. Thank you for that."
Heero frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I'm relieving you of your assignment, Heero." Relena lifted her head. "My authority as President supercedes Lady Une's, and while I don't like going over her head, it's obvious that she made a mistake. You don't want to be here, and I don't want you to be here. I'll inform her in the morning." She closed her eyes. "Go, please. I'm tired."
He was still standing there when she opened them a few minutes later. Puzzled, she began to ask, "What part of that didn't you…"
"I don't want to be relieved of my assignment." Heero looked at her. "I'm the only one who can guard you properly."
Her headache was threatening to return. "Haven't you heard, Heero? Pride goeth before a fall."
"This isn't about pride or ego," he snapped.
"You *would* say that." Relena crossed her arms over her stomach. "But for what other possible reason would you stay when it's so plainly obvious that you can't stand me?"
Heero braced himself with both hands on the metal frame of her bed. "You don't understand."
"Of course I don't understand!! How could I possibly understand?!"
"The last thing you need right now is to get upset," he reminded her.
"Don't do that." Relena shook her head. "I take advice from doctors, political consultants and my friends. At last check, you fell into none of those categories."
His expression grew dark. "Friends like Quatre Winner?" When she said nothing, he pressed on. "He's gay, you know."
"He is not."
Heero lifted a shoulder. "Believe what you want. But has he ever made a move on you?"
Relena hesitated. "No. But that doesn't mean…"
"Has he ever even seemed like he was going to?"
"Why are you doing this? Are you just trying to pound it into my head that no man could ever possibly be attracted to me? Fine, I accept that. But what does this have to do with me firing you?"
"Damn it, Relena! Isn't it enough? Isn't it enough that I'm here? That I don't want *not* to be here?"
She began to laugh. "Heero, you're here because you were ordered to be here. And you fought it!! I sat in that damn office and listened to you try to get out of it! What the hell are you trying to say now?"
"I don't know." He released the frame and pushed off violently. "I don't fucking know!" Heero plunged his fingers through his hair. "I just know…that I wanted to hurt Quatre earlier today. And when I saw you in so much pain…" Shaking his head violently, Heero could only repeat, "I don't know."
"I can't do this," Relena whispered a moment later. "I can't always be wondering what you're really thinking as opposed to what you're saying or doing. Your actions might speak louder than your words, but what do you suggest I do when *both* of them are telling me the same thing? Should I ignore them both, assuming that you're really meaning something different, and then follow you around like a puppy dog, hoping you'll eventually toss me a few scraps of something good?"
Heero's head swayed back and forth. "I shouldn't have said anything. Fire me if you want; it doesn't matter."
Some little light in her eyes died. "No. I'm not going to give you the satisfaction. You will be my bodyguard, because you are good at it. You're just going to have to learn to live with whatever issues you've got."
She nearly screamed when he leaned over her, slamming a hand on either side of her pillow. "I'm in hell when I'm with you. And I'm in hell when I'm not. It's torture."
"Torture yourself all you want, Heero, but I'm not going to do the same," she whispered. He was too close; she could smell his soap and sweat. "Not anymore."
"There was a time…" He brought one hand over to run his fingers down the edge of her cheek. "…when you cared about me. What happened to that?"
Relena kept her eyes on his, determined to show no reaction, even as the gentle caress sent shivers down her spine. "I got over it."
"I didn't." His mouth descended towards hers; she held her breath, waiting for the kiss, waiting to find out if the reality would be as good as all of her fantasies.
"Madam President, may I come in?"
The nurse's voice blasted through the moment. Heero abruptly drew back and moved a good distance away from her bed. Relena swallowed heavily. "Yes, it's fine."
When the plump woman left a few minutes later, Relena found herself staring at a plate of pale baked chicken, dry rice, limp vegetables, and rubbery Jello, alongside a carton of milk. "I can't eat this."
Heero turned back around. "How much are you paying these people? You're the President, and this is what they feed you?"
"No…I really can't." She pushed the rolling table further down until it covered her legs instead of her waist.
"You have to." He moved back to her side. "Do you want to get out of here or not?"
Relena sighed. "What's the point, Heero?"
"Self-explanatory," he replied, frowning.
"I mean, what's the point of going through the motions?" She gestured to the food. "So what if I don't eat much? And so what if I can't sleep? It's not like it really matters. One of these days, the people who did this to me are going to want something. And when I refuse to give it to them, they're going to kill me. So, I repeat, what's the point?"
His frown grew even harder. "You know that we're going to find the ones who did this, and soon. But if you waste away before that happens…well, that's just…" He searched for a word, but could only come up with, "…stupid."
"I've done stupider things." Relena let out a little laugh. "I chartered a plane to Antarctica to deliver you a letter."
"I thought you did that so I wouldn't fight Zechs."
She shrugged again. "Maybe I did; I can't really remember."
"Just eat, Relena." Heero pushed the tray table closer to her. "All right?"
"I will. If you do something for me."
"What do you want?"
"Finish what you started before the nurse came in." Relena's tongue darted over her lips. "I want you to kiss me."
A full minute of silence passed before he finally said, "I can't. Not now."
She nodded, and couldn't seem to stop. If her head kept moving, she figured her tears might not have a chance to escape. To distract herself, Relena picked up her fork with a heavy hand "Go away, Heero."
He followed the order, but he didn't go far.
****
"You're certain that you're all right, Relena?"
She smiled at Quatre's face on the communicator screen. "I'm certain. I am sorry about our dinner plans, though."
"As am I. I had the perfect restaurant picked out. But I'm going to be here for awhile; we'll try again when you're feeling better."
Relena nodded. After a paused, she asked, "Quatre? Do you find me attractive?"
His cheeks colored almost immediately. "You're beautiful, Relena."
It wasn't quite the answer she was looking for, but she smiled again. "I should get some more rest."
"Of course. I'll come by your office tomorrow, perhaps?" When she nodded again, he continued, "Goodnight, Relena."
She stayed at her desk for a long moment after the screen blanked out; finally, she forced herself to stand up. It was after midnight, but there was no urgent need for her to fall asleep. As a condition of her release from the hospital, she'd been ordered to take a personal day to recuperate. She could sleep in until noon if she wanted to, but it wasn't as exciting a prospect as it might have once been.
She couldn't get her argument with Heero out of her head. It was like she had to decode it; nothing had quite made sense. Hot one minute and cold the next didn't even begin to describe the fluctuations in Heero's words and actions. At the same time he was holding her down, drowning her, he would toss her a life preserver…only to snatch it back again just as quickly.
No wonder she'd developed migraines.
Without bothering to go about her nightly routine, Relena shed her clothes. The straight maroon skirt and matching jacket lay where they fell, tangled around a silver-grey blouse and flesh-colored stockings. Reaching around her back, she unhooked her black bra, freeing herself from its constraints.
She reached into a drawer for a nightgown, but closed it up without removing one. When she slipped into bed a moment later, she was only covered by a tiny pair of black panties.
There was something entirely delicious in the way the satin sheets felt against her bare skin. Relena stretched, letting the length of her legs and arms slid across the cool material. It warmed quickly as the heat of her body grew. Her nipples pebbled; unaware, she covered one breast with her hand.
His fingers would be rough, she idly thought. He wouldn't stroke or tease; he'd simply take. She closed her eyes. Oh, the places he'd take her. Relena bit her lip, rolling her thumb over and around the hard tip of her breast. Her other hand disappeared under the covers, seeking the center of her body.
"Heero," she cried out softly.
Her head was so awash in sensation that she didn't even notice her door opening a few minutes later. It was only when she felt the bed beneath her jerk as though someone was climbing onto it that she opened her eyes. Heero looked down at her; his stare smoldered with something she'd never seen before.
Too shocked to be embarrassed, all she could say was his name again. It was a question, but it didn't ask for an explanation. If anything, it was an invitation.
"Now," he answered. He kissed her hard; she tasted blood on her lips when he pulled back to get rid of his own clothes. "Now, Relena."
****
To Be Continued
Author's Notes: I'm so glad people are reading and enjoying!! I hope you keep up with the story. This might be the last time I update before the holidays, so have a very merry Christmas, ya'll!!! Take care:)
****
Be My Downfall
by Kristen Elizabeth
****
"Madam President, I can only hope that all of this will finally convince you that you simply have to get sufficient rest and nutrition, not just when it's convenient for you, but every single day," Relena's doctor reprimanded her.
She nodded listlessly. "Of course. Every day."
"I'm quite serious," the doctor went on. "Although I believe this migraine came about because you haven't been taking proper care of yourself, I can't say with absolute certainty that it had nothing to do with the…pathogen in your body. I have two of my best scientists working on the case, but without knowing enough about its properties, there's no way to tell how it will affect you in the future, especially if your system is weakened in any way."
"I understand." Relena touched her forehead; thanks to the strongest pain reliever that the private clinic boasted, her headache was fading. "When can I go home, doctor?"
The man sighed. "I'll discharge you in an hour, but not until after I see you eat something. All right?" She nodded again. "I'll have a nurse bring you a tray from the cafeteria. Until then, try to rest." He made a note on her chart. "Oh, and the man who brought you here is still waiting in the lobby."
"Heero?" Relena looked down at her hands. "Has he…been here this whole time?"
"Organizing a security sweep of the building, asking for constant updates on your condition, and being a general pain in the...." The doctor tucked her chart under his arm. "Would you like me to send him in?"
She took a breath. "All right."
The man smiled and disappeared through the curtain he'd pulled around her bed for privacy. Relena took a moment to smooth down her hair and make sure the hospital gown covered as much of her body as possible. She probably looked horrible with tearstains and dark circles under her eyes, but there wasn't much she could do about that. It was bad enough that she'd tried to make herself more presentable at all. It would be wasted on a man who cared nothing for her physically.
Heero entered the curtained-off area and looked around, suspicious. "There's no nurse. Who's watching you?"
"I'm fine; I don't need anyone to hold my hand." Relena studied him. "Why are you still here?"
"My assignment is a twenty-four hour one."
She stared at him for another second before her chin dropped her chest. A rueful smile appeared on her lips. "At least I can't ever say you led me on. Thank you for that."
Heero frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I'm relieving you of your assignment, Heero." Relena lifted her head. "My authority as President supercedes Lady Une's, and while I don't like going over her head, it's obvious that she made a mistake. You don't want to be here, and I don't want you to be here. I'll inform her in the morning." She closed her eyes. "Go, please. I'm tired."
He was still standing there when she opened them a few minutes later. Puzzled, she began to ask, "What part of that didn't you…"
"I don't want to be relieved of my assignment." Heero looked at her. "I'm the only one who can guard you properly."
Her headache was threatening to return. "Haven't you heard, Heero? Pride goeth before a fall."
"This isn't about pride or ego," he snapped.
"You *would* say that." Relena crossed her arms over her stomach. "But for what other possible reason would you stay when it's so plainly obvious that you can't stand me?"
Heero braced himself with both hands on the metal frame of her bed. "You don't understand."
"Of course I don't understand!! How could I possibly understand?!"
"The last thing you need right now is to get upset," he reminded her.
"Don't do that." Relena shook her head. "I take advice from doctors, political consultants and my friends. At last check, you fell into none of those categories."
His expression grew dark. "Friends like Quatre Winner?" When she said nothing, he pressed on. "He's gay, you know."
"He is not."
Heero lifted a shoulder. "Believe what you want. But has he ever made a move on you?"
Relena hesitated. "No. But that doesn't mean…"
"Has he ever even seemed like he was going to?"
"Why are you doing this? Are you just trying to pound it into my head that no man could ever possibly be attracted to me? Fine, I accept that. But what does this have to do with me firing you?"
"Damn it, Relena! Isn't it enough? Isn't it enough that I'm here? That I don't want *not* to be here?"
She began to laugh. "Heero, you're here because you were ordered to be here. And you fought it!! I sat in that damn office and listened to you try to get out of it! What the hell are you trying to say now?"
"I don't know." He released the frame and pushed off violently. "I don't fucking know!" Heero plunged his fingers through his hair. "I just know…that I wanted to hurt Quatre earlier today. And when I saw you in so much pain…" Shaking his head violently, Heero could only repeat, "I don't know."
"I can't do this," Relena whispered a moment later. "I can't always be wondering what you're really thinking as opposed to what you're saying or doing. Your actions might speak louder than your words, but what do you suggest I do when *both* of them are telling me the same thing? Should I ignore them both, assuming that you're really meaning something different, and then follow you around like a puppy dog, hoping you'll eventually toss me a few scraps of something good?"
Heero's head swayed back and forth. "I shouldn't have said anything. Fire me if you want; it doesn't matter."
Some little light in her eyes died. "No. I'm not going to give you the satisfaction. You will be my bodyguard, because you are good at it. You're just going to have to learn to live with whatever issues you've got."
She nearly screamed when he leaned over her, slamming a hand on either side of her pillow. "I'm in hell when I'm with you. And I'm in hell when I'm not. It's torture."
"Torture yourself all you want, Heero, but I'm not going to do the same," she whispered. He was too close; she could smell his soap and sweat. "Not anymore."
"There was a time…" He brought one hand over to run his fingers down the edge of her cheek. "…when you cared about me. What happened to that?"
Relena kept her eyes on his, determined to show no reaction, even as the gentle caress sent shivers down her spine. "I got over it."
"I didn't." His mouth descended towards hers; she held her breath, waiting for the kiss, waiting to find out if the reality would be as good as all of her fantasies.
"Madam President, may I come in?"
The nurse's voice blasted through the moment. Heero abruptly drew back and moved a good distance away from her bed. Relena swallowed heavily. "Yes, it's fine."
When the plump woman left a few minutes later, Relena found herself staring at a plate of pale baked chicken, dry rice, limp vegetables, and rubbery Jello, alongside a carton of milk. "I can't eat this."
Heero turned back around. "How much are you paying these people? You're the President, and this is what they feed you?"
"No…I really can't." She pushed the rolling table further down until it covered her legs instead of her waist.
"You have to." He moved back to her side. "Do you want to get out of here or not?"
Relena sighed. "What's the point, Heero?"
"Self-explanatory," he replied, frowning.
"I mean, what's the point of going through the motions?" She gestured to the food. "So what if I don't eat much? And so what if I can't sleep? It's not like it really matters. One of these days, the people who did this to me are going to want something. And when I refuse to give it to them, they're going to kill me. So, I repeat, what's the point?"
His frown grew even harder. "You know that we're going to find the ones who did this, and soon. But if you waste away before that happens…well, that's just…" He searched for a word, but could only come up with, "…stupid."
"I've done stupider things." Relena let out a little laugh. "I chartered a plane to Antarctica to deliver you a letter."
"I thought you did that so I wouldn't fight Zechs."
She shrugged again. "Maybe I did; I can't really remember."
"Just eat, Relena." Heero pushed the tray table closer to her. "All right?"
"I will. If you do something for me."
"What do you want?"
"Finish what you started before the nurse came in." Relena's tongue darted over her lips. "I want you to kiss me."
A full minute of silence passed before he finally said, "I can't. Not now."
She nodded, and couldn't seem to stop. If her head kept moving, she figured her tears might not have a chance to escape. To distract herself, Relena picked up her fork with a heavy hand "Go away, Heero."
He followed the order, but he didn't go far.
****
"You're certain that you're all right, Relena?"
She smiled at Quatre's face on the communicator screen. "I'm certain. I am sorry about our dinner plans, though."
"As am I. I had the perfect restaurant picked out. But I'm going to be here for awhile; we'll try again when you're feeling better."
Relena nodded. After a paused, she asked, "Quatre? Do you find me attractive?"
His cheeks colored almost immediately. "You're beautiful, Relena."
It wasn't quite the answer she was looking for, but she smiled again. "I should get some more rest."
"Of course. I'll come by your office tomorrow, perhaps?" When she nodded again, he continued, "Goodnight, Relena."
She stayed at her desk for a long moment after the screen blanked out; finally, she forced herself to stand up. It was after midnight, but there was no urgent need for her to fall asleep. As a condition of her release from the hospital, she'd been ordered to take a personal day to recuperate. She could sleep in until noon if she wanted to, but it wasn't as exciting a prospect as it might have once been.
She couldn't get her argument with Heero out of her head. It was like she had to decode it; nothing had quite made sense. Hot one minute and cold the next didn't even begin to describe the fluctuations in Heero's words and actions. At the same time he was holding her down, drowning her, he would toss her a life preserver…only to snatch it back again just as quickly.
No wonder she'd developed migraines.
Without bothering to go about her nightly routine, Relena shed her clothes. The straight maroon skirt and matching jacket lay where they fell, tangled around a silver-grey blouse and flesh-colored stockings. Reaching around her back, she unhooked her black bra, freeing herself from its constraints.
She reached into a drawer for a nightgown, but closed it up without removing one. When she slipped into bed a moment later, she was only covered by a tiny pair of black panties.
There was something entirely delicious in the way the satin sheets felt against her bare skin. Relena stretched, letting the length of her legs and arms slid across the cool material. It warmed quickly as the heat of her body grew. Her nipples pebbled; unaware, she covered one breast with her hand.
His fingers would be rough, she idly thought. He wouldn't stroke or tease; he'd simply take. She closed her eyes. Oh, the places he'd take her. Relena bit her lip, rolling her thumb over and around the hard tip of her breast. Her other hand disappeared under the covers, seeking the center of her body.
"Heero," she cried out softly.
Her head was so awash in sensation that she didn't even notice her door opening a few minutes later. It was only when she felt the bed beneath her jerk as though someone was climbing onto it that she opened her eyes. Heero looked down at her; his stare smoldered with something she'd never seen before.
Too shocked to be embarrassed, all she could say was his name again. It was a question, but it didn't ask for an explanation. If anything, it was an invitation.
"Now," he answered. He kissed her hard; she tasted blood on her lips when he pulled back to get rid of his own clothes. "Now, Relena."
****
To Be Continued