Chapter two…

Lunch…

Relena walked out of her office with Heero walking close behind.

"I'm eating lunch with Hilde today at La Buona Forcetta. It's a small Italian restaurant so there's no need to run a security check on it. We're probably going to be there for more than an hour since we will be planning her wedding." Relena stated as she entered the elevator cart.

Heero nodded in agreement.

"Don't you even care who she's marrying?" Relena asked placing her hands on her hips.

"Should I care?" he questioned back with the same emotionless face.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Heero? You've changed! She's marrying your best friend and you don't care? If you don't care about your best friends, then who do you care about?" Relena shouted raising her arms in frustration.

Heero quickly grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the cold metal wall of the elevator. Relena shivered at the coldness.

"I care about my friends. For the past two years, I had to control my urge to visit my friends. I couldn't just visit any of you; I could've endangered your life. Damn it, Relena! Do you know how hard it was for me to be so far from the one person I loved?" He said quickly but clearly.

"Yes, Heero. I do know. Since I was far from you. I didn't even know why you left. You never left a note for me telling me where you were. I blamed myself everyday and cried myself to sleep. I thought you left because of me." Relena said softly, tears running down her cheeks.

They finally reached their destined floor in silence. They exited the building and entered a limo.

Relena sat down beside a window and stared outside at the many people.

"Tell me Heero, can you ever love me again?" she asked when Heero took his place beside her.

"…"

"I'll take that as a no." Relena whispered.

Heero could see the pain in Relena's eyes even though she wasn't facing him. He reached for her shoulders to comfort her but when he made contact, she brushed his hand away.

"Don't touch me!" she said below a whisper.

/Shit! Now she hates me…/ he thought staring at the still figure beside him.

"Relena…I'm sorry…"

"Don't be, Heero. Just to stop the fights, I'm going to reassign you."

"What!"

"You heard me, Heero."

"But Relena, I took this job to be with you."

"Why? It's so obvious that you don't care for me."

Heero felt as if he had just been stabbed in the chest.

The rest of the trip to the restaurant was silent.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Relena found Hilde waiting for her beside the glass doors.

"Hilde! Over here!" she shouted as soon as Heero had exited the car.

Hilde waved her hand at Relena and walked beside her.

"Hey, Lena!" Hilde said then looked at Heero up and down. "What're you doing here?"

"Body guard." Relena answered for Heero, rolling her eyes. Relena, Hilde and Heero entered the restaurant and quickly found some seats. A waiter took their orders and left them alone before Hilde and Relena started talking.

"Relena, I thought you got over him?" Hilde whispered, unsure whether or not Heero could hear her, but he did. He could hear her clearly.

"I did." Relena said with the same volume in her voice. Heero felt like his heart was stolen from inside of him at the statement. He groaned a little at the pain.

At this point, the waiter had served their drinks. Heero took a sip from his glass f water.

"So, Relena. Are you going to take me up on my offer? Michael is still available you know." Hilde said, no longer whispering.

"I don't know… Going on a blind date?" Relena said, looking at the floor as if she could find the answer there.

Heero was listening intently to what the two were talking about. He could feel his chest constrict every so often now, and he didn't think he could take the pain any longer.

"C'mon Relena. Michael is a fairly decent guy. He's smart, and cute. And don't get me started on his body."

"I still don't think its right…"

This made Heero relax a little bit.

"When was the last time you went on a date? Please?" Hilde said, reminding Relena and Heero of their conversation earlier in the morning.

Relena frowned at the thought. She could still hear Heero saying those words to her. He had made her feel as if she was so anti-social with out him.

"Fine. I'll do it."

Heero tensed as he heard this. He took a glimpse of Relena at the corner of his eye.

"You will?" Hilde asked a little surprised.

"Yeah, but I'm a bit busy this week. I still have to reassign Heero and find a new bodyguard since Une is too busy at the moment, with Marimeia and all."

"You're reassigning Heero?" Hilde asked, stealing a glimpse from the stoic man beside her.

"Yes, I am." Was Relena's short reply.

"Why?" Hilde questioned, slightly confused as to why Relena was reassigning the only man she had truly loved.

"Because she thinks I don't love her. She thinks that if I weren't near her things would be better for the both of us." Heero said, shouting a little but not enough to make the other customers look at them.

"Ok then. If that's what she thinks, how about you? What do you think? If she thinks you don't love her, do you think you do? If she thinks it would be better for the both of you, do you thinks so?" Hilde asked, frustrated at Heero's intense answer.