No, I do not own Gundam Wing (sigh), just how many times most I repeat myself?

Chapter 7

She figured Heero still had issues with himself, and so decided she should leave him be for awhile before asking the questions that had been pestering her since his appearance the night before.

And though she was eager to unfold her curiosity, she kept it to herself; caging the innumerable questions inside her mind. After all, she could wait. It was enough that he was there. More than enough.

And so, content with herself for the first time in months, she sought out to finish cleaning the dishes.

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Heero was seated in a very comfortable sofa in the living room, in front of the TV plasma screen, which, strangely, he hadn't noticed until Relena had suggested he entertained himself, specifically with the TV.

He hadn't noticed the big TV in one of the walls of the living room. He wondered how that had happened. He was supposed to notice everything.

Heero sighed in frustration, resigning himself to enjoy the 2000 channels of cable while Relena cleaned the dishes in the kitchen. He had offered to help, not wanting to abuse of her hospitality, but Relena just wouldn't budge when she had her mind set on something.

A grin formed on his lips at the thought of the princess. She was steely and determined, yet she was caring and kind. It amazed him how she cared about him, when she should be repulsed. He had done so much harm to her during the time they had known each other, and yet she welcomed and took care of him. He didn't deserve her kindness.

If anything she should never see him again; she deserved much better. But, not seeing her again would certainly kill what was left of his soul. He wouldn't be able to handle it. He was weak.

But, if being weak meant he could see her then he wanted to be weak.

Movement and slight noise caught his attention, disrupting him from his musings. He searched for the origin of the noise, and Heero found himself staring into the green eyes of Relena's pet cat.

The dark-furred kitten looked up towards him from the sofa's edge, as if expecting something from him.

Maybe he was hungry. Unfortunately Heero didn't have any food on him at the moment and so, did what he thought was the next best thing to feeding the kitty. With ease and carefulness so as not to scare the little guy, Heero gently picked the kitty up from the floor, setting it next to him on the sofa.

Heero had liked animals since he had been an 'assassin-in-process', a little boy in other words. He had found out that animals wouldn't judge him and that he could trust them, so, consequently, animals had been the only light in his childhood. Or what one could call a childhood.

True, he preferred dogs to cats; possibly because strays had been abundant on his home-colony. But still, he didn't mind cats. And this particular one, though small, appeared to be keen and intelligent.

Heero Yuy gently patted its head, and a tiny smile appeared on his lips when Zero started to emit small purring sounds in response. This was definitely better than watching TV.

"Cute isn't he?"

Had Heero been a normal person he would have jumped at that moment. Fortunately he wasn't. Instead he remained calm, and with a stoic expression on his face he slowly turned around to face the source of the voice, all while trying to calm down his hammering heart.

There stood Relena behind him, arms resting upon the sofa's backrest, smiling up at him as if she just hadn't scared him.

"Hn, he's nice" he said with a monotone voice.

She didn't reply to that, just smiled and jumped over the couch, settling herself on it at his side. The cat immediately disentangled himself off Heero's hands and scurried over to his owner. His purrs were so loud Heero was sure they could be heard throughout the entire house.

"Oh come on, you act as if you had never received attention in your life" Relena said, commenting on her kitten's overacted purring, "You're a shame to kittens all over the world"

Heero couldn't help but grin. It was nice to see Relena like this, without having the pressures of her job weighing down on her carefree personality. And it had been such a long time since he had seen her like this; there had been times when she had acted like this around him, happy and carefree, but they had been few and in-between, for the wars and the world's peace had soon demanded her immediate attention, and then it hadn't been long before only her complete dedication would do.

Feeling his lingering stare, Relena looked up, catching his blue eyes in a gaze as she did so. He didn't retract his gaze, and Relena looked away when it became too much for her. She smiled shyly at his undivided attention for her, a hint of pink dotting her smooth cheeks.

Heero openly smirked in turn, feeling a curious sense of masculine pride at her reaction to his flirting.

His mind had been made up and it would not back up, he would make his move. Luck didn't seem to be on his side though, for before he could as much as close the gap between them a loud noise disrupted their silence, making Relena jump slightly in surprise.

Heero automatically reached for the gun that he carried at all times, before he realized with an annoyed grunt that it was just the TV.

Apparently a movie had just started, and Relena snuggled comfortably against the couch when she read the title. The Matrix, a very old movie, centuries old even, but it was a classic nonetheless. Relena smiled, she had been meaning to see the movie complete, she had always been too busy to see it all, and so she was happy for the opportunity.

Aware to Relena's obvious desire to watch the movie, Heero had no choice but to stay put and watch it with her. Patiently waiting for the right moment to make his move and bring his better-half into the light of the situation.

She had enjoyed the first movie immensely, he could tell. The movie's action and suspense had kept her on her tiptoes the entire time, and he had to admit it had been amusing to watch Relena get so riled up when things would not go like she wanted them to. She would scream at the characters to run when it was evident the bad guy was about to strike and would roll her eyes when the situation would get too mushy. In the end he had found Relena's antics more entertaining than the movie, which he had already seen many times before. It happened to have been Doctor J's favorite. Along with a Chinese movie in which people would fly and do inhuman moves during excellently choreographed swordfights.

It turned out that the channel was running a Matrix movie marathon. Relena had been ecstatic, Heero had hardly blinked.

She was satisfied, expectant and excited by the time the second Matrix movie started rolling. It had started good enough, Relena had been happy to see the same characters appear in the sequel and he had marveled at how well she had managed to understand the movie's complex universe. The atmosphere had turned heavier and tenser when a rather-explicit sexual situation had unfolded between the two main characters; sweaty, sexy dancing and passionate scenes had abruptly filled the big plasma screen. Relena had wisely chosen that moment to go make popcorn in the kitchen, assuring him that she wouldn't be long. Heero had thanked the heavens at that moment, knowing he wouldn't be able to control himself any longer if his mind kept stubbornly picturing himself and Relena in the hero's and heroine's respective places. During that scene.

Strangely coincidentally, Relena had returned with a bowl full of popcorn the moment that particular scene had ended, settling herself in the couch again. She had seated a few inches closer to him than before, Heero had noted with a smirk.

By the time the movie had ended Relena looked weary, tired and unfocused. Her body had shaken with more than a few yawns during the between-movie-commercials, and the popcorn had been left forgotten at Heero's side. Little Zero had long-ago fallen asleep over a nice-looking cushion.

Heero had long ago stopped paying attention to the Television, completely immersed in his thoughts and Relena's antics to go along with the movie line.

Something warm fell on his shoulders, and Heero almost jumped before he realized that the warm weight was actually Relena. His eyes softened and his heart started hammering, she had finally lost the battle over sleep, and gravity had weighed her body down until her head had hit Heero's shoulder.

He watched her chest's slow low and rise, her body immersed in the deep peaceful breathing that came with sleep. Her lips were partially opened in a relaxed state and her arms hung limply at her sides.

If he could, Heero would have glared at his heart, which, to Heero's utter annoyance, hadn't slowed down its excited beat since her head had made contact with his body. She seemed uncomfortable though, and he ached to accommodate her position.

His throat gone dry, he tried to gulp in order to settle down his nerves. Slowly and as gentle as possible so as not to wake her, he slid the arm she was partially resting on behind her, making the upper part of her body slide further across his chest. His alarms perked up instantly.

He closed and opened his eyes, wakening his senses to their maximum, this required his full concentration. Carefully observing the position he was currently in and what he could do to solve the situation, he noted that he would have to pull her closer to him if wanted her to be comfortable. He moved his arm and gently closed it around her waist, his mind marveling at just how small and smooth her waist was. Slowly he pulled her body closer, finally coming to rest it against his bigger chest.

Unconsciously perceiving the more comfortable position it had been moved to, Relena's small body snuggled further into him, gaining a nervous intake of air from the former pilot. He counted to ten in his mind, finally musing up the courage to drop his arm around her shoulders, transforming their position into a relaxed embrace.

To his relief she didn't wake up and he was finally able to relax and enjoy the feeling of finally having his princess in his arms. It felt so good to be able to hold her, and he realized he had never felt like this before. He felt wonderful and special, to be able to hold her like this in his arms, to hold the fragile weight in the safe circle of his arms. He knew she couldn't be safer at that moment, because even though he didn't completely trust himself with something so precious, he knew without doubt that he would never harm her in any way. He had done enough of that, and frankly, he was tired of running away. He had done that for enough time, and had gained nothing from it, except for nightmares and lonely grief. He planned on staying, even if she refused. He wouldn't have a no for an answer. He didn't hope for one of course.

Heero looked down at the sleeping girl in his arms. He knew that he would never let anyone or anything harm her; she was his and only his to protect. It had always been like that.

He looked towards the window. It looked dark outside, though it still was early in the afternoon. The pitter pat of the rain against the window had started a while ago, and now it had gotten only stronger. Strangely, Heero found the presence of the rain an oddly comforting one. Here he was, sitting in a comfortable couch inside of a big, silent Victorian house surrounded by the veil of the rain, holding a princess in his arms. He was just missing the hot chocolate.

A contented smirk slowly made its way unto his lips as he blindly watched the rain outside the window. He could definitely spend the rest of his days like this, letting the afternoons pass by in silent contempt, holding his princess close.

He turned to look back at his charge, only to find a pair of blue eyes looking back at him. He didn't move a muscle, but his heart was racing a mile a minute. He didn't move his eyes away from hers though, and held them in a daring gaze. She had such beautiful eyes that they left him slightly breathless. They were the purest tone of cyan, like the sky itself, but here and there you could find traces of green, which, mixed with the predominant blue formed hints of turquoise and aqua. They were the loveliest eyes he had ever seen, and he knew that it would be impossible to find another pair that could match hers. There was tangible emotion burning in those eyes at the moment. Confusion was predominant, anger was there too, disbelief and bewilderment, a minuscule hint of fear, gratefulness too, but there was also, strangely, hope, and something else…something that he couldn't exactly pinpoint, but it was there, and her eyes glinted with that emotion. It was an emotion that he had seen in various occasions when he had met her.

He had been caught, he knew that. He had been caught like a little boy with his hands on the cake got caught by his mother. Of course, nobody liked to be caught, but deep inside his stoic persona there was a part that was screaming in excitement at being caught, eager to see how he would deal with this new situation.

Minutes ticked by as they continued to stare into each other's eyes, neither of them gathering enough courage to disrupt the awkward yet comfortable silence they had settled in, and inHeero's case, not really wanting to.

She however, was desperate to know why exactly was Heero Yuy holding her in such an intimate and possessive way. Her heart was beating like crazy in excitement, urgently whispering to her that this was what she had been waiting for, that her wildest dreams were actually coming true. Sadly, the pessimism of life still had a tight grip on her, reminding her that this was too good to be true, and that there had to be a catch, a logical non-romantic reason for his uncharacteristic behavior.

Her light brown brows were furrowed in anger, never a good sign. "You said you didn't want to take me back. That your visit had nothing to do with my former job"

Heero nodded a little hesitantly, not really sure of where this conversation was going, or from where it was coming either.

"Don't lie to me Heero. What is the real reason of your visit?" she was angry, almost fuming, but his hold still didn't weaken.

Heero's left eyebrow rose up at her question and present attitude. Vice Foreign Minister, real reasons, lies…Where did she get this stuff?

"Are you really that dense?" he asked in his deep voice, though it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Wha—" Relena stopped in mid-sentence the moment Heero's forehead touched hers, trembling at his proximity. His warm breath on her face was simply too much for her. She was awfully aware of his strong hands at her back and waist, pulling her closer to him. She was sure her heart would burst out of her chest any second now.

Her lips parted as she murmured something inaudible. His eyes darkened with an emotion that was unknown to her, yet they were serious.

"Have you really not noticed?" he whispered, his lips a breath away from hers, his eyes barely open.

"Heero…" it was all she was able to whisper before his lips gently crashed against hers. A wave of heated electricity instantly rushed through her body and her mind went completely blank, not really believing what was happening. That Heero Yuy was actually kissing her.

He felt her draw in a sharp breath, and for a mere second he feared that she would reject him. Then she kissed him back, slowly and gently, innocently pressing her lips harder against him. His chest felt unusually warm, and white hot heat surged through his body, awakening some primal instincts that had been dormant until now. He did his best to tone down those instincts; this was not the time to think about that.

He broke the kiss slowly, missing the feel of her lips the moment he did so. He could feel her ragged breath on his face, making himache formore. Her eyes, which looked as glinting sapphires in the darkness, bore into his dark blue ones.

"But, you said that you came here for help" Relena whispered, almost against his lips, not wanting to ruin the moment.

A teasing smirk placed itself upon his lips, "I said that I'd come here to see you, you assumed that I needed help"

Relena suddenly felt quite stupid, making wrong assumptions and complicating all the matter. But, as she realized exactly where she was, in Heero's arms, she found it difficult to be mad at herself for long.

"So you…" she started, feeling a deep blush creep into her cheeks.

"I meant it when I said I came here to see you" his voice sounded deep and husky, and Relena could feel the blood pounding in her head as he leaned closer.

Something abruptly landed on her chest, making Relena jump, a small squeal escaping her swollen lips. Heero instantly went into protective mode, pulling Relena even closer to him in an attempt to protect herfrom the thing that had scared her.

Relena looked down at her attacker as she was assaulted by a pair of eerie green eyes and a whining mew. She cracked up. Little Zero had managed to scare her once more. On a most intimate moment, just her luck.

Heero could feel Relena shaking with laughs in his hands, and he couldn't help but smile a little bit. True, the moment had been ruined, by a cat nonetheless, but it was worth it. His day significantly brightened at the sight of Relena's carefree laugh.

His desire to kiss those rosy, swollen lips got the best of him though, and he hushed her giggles with another heart-felt kiss, doing his best to put all the feelings he had for her in it.

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He could hear the remnants of the last night's rain dripping to the ground with an almost inaudible sound. He didn't want to open his eyes; he had been having a very pleasant dream, for the first time in years, and didn't want to go back into the harsh reality of life. Suddenly, he was aware of an extra weight draped across his chest, and he could hear a heavy breathing that didn't belong to himself. Bracing himself for anything, he opened his Prussian blue eyes.

He blinked. Once. Twice. He ought to be dreaming, it was the only logical explanation. Things like this never happened to him.

Sleeping over his chest was the girl of his dreams. The golden-haired princess that had continuously crossed paths with him during his pilot days, the one who had spread peace into the world, and into his world too.

A toothless smile spread across his normally stoic features as memories of the night before flooded his mind. So it hadn't been a dream after all.

Looking at his surroundings, he realized they still were in the living room, draped over the same comfortable couch, except that now everything was flooded in light.

Relena's soft body was cradled against him, and he was somewhat in a sitting position, making it easy for him to admire the sleeping young girl. Silky waves of gold tumbled over her like a veil, and her rosy, almost pouting lips parted with each breath she took. He could look at her all day.

It would have been too much to ask of course, for only a few minutes had passed when a small mob of brown fur suddenly landed over the sleeping princess. He fought the urge to snatch her up in his arms and protect her from the danger when two green eyes appeared in front of him. He also fought the urge to growl in desperation. What was it with this cat and jumping on people's stomachs? Particularly that one of a certain blue-eyed girl.

He tried shooing the little cat, in fear that he would wake Relena up, but to his utmost annoyance, not even his death-glare would scare the kitten off. Not seeing any other way, very carefully he disentangled her body from him, being very careful not to wake her up. After what seemed like an eternity, he was able to stand up, gently laying her across the couch in her deep slumber, the stubborn cat still standing on top of her small stomach.

He picked the cat as quickly as possible; fearing that anymore movement would disrupt the princess's deep sleep, and took it into the kitchen. Maybe the little guy just wanted food.

Heero literally dived into the kitchen cabinets in search for cat food, only to find the can of "Whiskas" in plain view on top of the coffee table. Just great.

His mood brightened, however, when the lively kitten literally dived, this time into his food, purring at Heero in gratefulness.

Leaving the dining cat in the kitchen, Heero stepped into the living room, only to find the couch empty, no trace of Relena whatsoever.

After two days of rain, the sun had still not appeared, but it wouldn't be long before it did. The gray clouds above her grew thinner by the minute, and the breeze was starting to pick up. Not that she minded the sun, but she always felt somewhat special on rainy days. A little blond girl running barefoot in the rain, sitting cozily in front of the fireplace, a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows in her hand or sitting outside in her porch, just watching the rain fall down, the sound of the water drops on the roof calming her senses. Those were the memories that always came back at her when Mother Nature opened its skies above, letting the rain wash away humanity's pains. Enjoyable memories that she kept close.

A smile crept unto her lips when she felt a presence stand behind her. It took him only a second to make his decision and sit next to her on the porch's steps. His lingering presence further calmed her senses.

"You could take a job at Preventers, I know for a fact that you would be very welcomed there" she said softly, looking at the gray sky. He said nothing, but she knew that he was listening intently.

"Nobody uses the guest room, well except for Duo but…you can stay here if you want to, and I guess Zero and I could use some company" she braced herself for his answer this time. She didn't know if he would like to stay with her, or continue on his road.

"Hn" his tone was as stoic as ever but, had really Relena looked into his eyes at that moment, she would have seen an unusual glint in them.

Indescribable joy spread throughout her at his positive answer, but she kept her calm, manifesting her happiness as she planted a sweet, bold kiss on his cheek.

Heero allowed himself a sheepish smile as he passed his arm over her shoulders, pulling her closer. Such a simple act, but it managed to express what he was feeling. He would stay with her, and they would help each other begin anew. He still needed much to learn about feelings, emotions and people, whilst she needed to regain the hope and optimism she had lost.

Leaning against her love's shoulder, Relena watched the rainy clouds starting to gather again. She grinned, it seemed like the sun would have to wait a little more. She was glad, she had always welcomed rainy days. Her heart seemed to sing as she realized that now she had yet another reason to remember rainy days with a smile.

Looking at the person at her left, she gave a silent thanks to the rain. Now, every time it rained she would remember the rainy night in which he had come back. For good.

AN: I'm proud to announce that that was the last chapter. Hey, I said it would be a short story. I tried to make the end as un-mushy as I could, hence why it took me so long to finally update. Well, that and my lack of time and inspiration. This is my first story, or was, and I'm really proud of it, even if it wasn't that good. I really hope that you liked it and if you didn't well...too bad. My thanks to all the people who reviewed, their support and suggestions made this story a joy to write.