I will never let you fall

I'll stand up with you forever

I'll be there for you through it all

Even if saving you sends me to heaven

"Your Guardian Angel," The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Relena awoke to find her world blanketed in white.

A contented smile crept over her lips as she looked down at the castle grounds from her bedroom window. The snow-laden trees sparkled in the morning light. The sun had risen a while ago, but the sky still resembled a pastry case of pastel pinks and yellows, a canopy of marshmallow clouds draped above. The crystal seashore beckoned beyond the treeline. It was a stunning scene, although her frosty dip the previous day reminded her just how deadly the cold could be. But there, up high in her veritable fortress, Relena felt tranquil and protected. Especially since the savior of the world happened to be right there with her...

She didn't remain long at the window, dressing quickly and all but throwing herself out of her room and down the stairs. She was eager to start her day, to share it with him.

"Heero?" she called as she bounded into the grand hall. She winced inwardly at the obvious excitement in her tone; she would have to work on that. Be cool, Relena, she chided herself as she made her way through the large open space.

Relena came to the living room area that contained the fireplace, and saw a pile of blankets, neatly folded and stacked on top of one another on the couch. Clearly Heero had used this as a makeshift bed. It figured that he would forego one of the many available beds in the castle. The fireplace was dark and silent, as was the rest of the room, save for the light seeping through the heavy curtains. Relena walked over and drew them open, and was greeted with the image of Heero outside, wrestling with a snowblower.

She smiled in his direction, although he didn't see her. He was clearing the main set of stairs outside, but the castle had several other staircases, including some that led all the way down to the beach. Relena hoped he wouldn't bother with those, but didn't see why he would; it wasn't like they were expecting visitors. If anything, the snow-covered stairs would act as a deterrent to any unwanted guests.

Relena continued to smile to herself as she headed into the kitchen. She decided she would leave Heero to his task, happy that he hadn't taken off on her in the middle of the night, although he had said that he wouldn't. Apparently not even Heero Yuy was brash enough to drive in a white-out, in practically the middle of nowhere.

She hummed softly as she searched around for items to make breakfast, and ended up pulling bread from the freezer to toast, and heating up a can of baked beans. Then she sliced up some apples and cheddar. It was far from gourmet, but at least there was food. She thought about going outside and letting Heero know breakfast was ready, but figured he would follow the scent once he came back inside, anyway.

Sure enough, she heard commotion at the entryway a few moments later, and then Heero strolled in the kitchen, snow still clinging to his hair. Relena raised her head and smiled at him from across the island.

"Coffee?" She proffered her own steaming cup, from which she had yet to sip.

"I'll get it." He sidestepped her and grabbed a mug off the counter, then lifted the coffee pot and poured out some of the hot, dark liquid. "Thanks."

"No problem. I made some breakfast, although it's not much. I wish we had eggs."

"This is fine." Heero took a seat across from her at the island, and started filling up a plate. "You've been busy."

Relena giggled before sipping her coffee. "Not as busy as you. You didn't have to do all that, you know. I could have hired someone."

Heero shrugged before tucking into his breakfast. "Why bother when I'm here?"

"Fair enough. I just don't want you overexerting yourself. You did just get out of the hospital-"

"I already told you, I'm fine," Heero cut in, frowning. "I wasn't that hurt. Just tired." Relena just shook her head and kept drinking her coffee. Clearly, it was pointless to argue with Heero about medical things; he could be bleeding from the head and would still insist it was nothing.

"Anyway." Relena lifted her head up at the sound of Heero's voice, slightly surprised that he continued talking. And curious. "I have something for you." Her heartbeat quickened.

"Oh?"

She watched as, without any further preamble, he reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a gold bracelet.

Her bracelet.

"Heero!" she gasped as he dropped it into her open palm. "How on Earth did you find it?!"

And then his face broke into an expression Relena had only seen him wear in rare moments, maybe only once before- a genuine smile. In fact, he looked downright pleased with himself.

"I built a metal-detecting bot and sent it out over the pond. Found the thing in a matter of seconds."

"You what?!" Relena gaped at Heero, not quite believing him. "When… how?"

"I used spare parts I found." He paused to take a bite of his toast. "You'd be surprised what's lying around in this castle, down where we used to hide mobile suits…"

Relena continued to look at Heero as if he'd just told her he bought a timeshare on Jupiter. Now this, she would have to see.

"But… when did you have time? Didn't you sleep?"

Heero shrugged. "I wasn't that tired."

Relena's eyes misted as she turned the bracelet over in her hand. She had been sure it was lost forever. "You didn't have to go through so much trouble," she said, slowly raising her eyes to meet Heero's. He gave another shrug.

"I knew it was important to you."

Relena stared at him wide-eyed for a moment before leaping from her seat and flinging her arms around Heero's neck. The motion almost sent his chair backward, but he held it steady while his free hand came up to rest on Relena's back. Then, even more impulsively, she planted a kiss on his cheek.

"You're wonderful," she breathed as they broke apart. Now it was Heero's turn to look wide-eyed.

"That's a first," he muttered.

"What?"

"No one's ever called me that before." Relena smiled at him adoringly.

"Well, I doubt I'm the only woman in the universe who's noticed. Don't be surprised if you start hearing that kind of stuff more often."

"No thanks." Heero grimaced, but his eyes twinkled at her. "You're more than a handful enough for me, already."

"Oh, really?" Relena balled her hands at both hips. "Well, apparently I don't drive you too crazy. You are still here."

"You do drive me crazy," he admitted, his eyes sparking again. "That's not why I'm here, though."

"Oh?" Relena leaned forward on the island, placing her chin in both hands. "Enlighten me."

He took a long sip of coffee. "I just came to see you," he said before setting his mug down.

"Really?" That wasn't the answer she was expecting.

"Yeah. You asked me before to visit you sometimes, and said I didn't need a reason." He shrugged. "So. That's my reason."

One of Relena's brows arched up of its own accord. "That's it?"

"Yeah," he said again, frowning this time. "Do I need more of a reason?"

"No." She leaned back in her seat. "I mean, I'm just surprised your reason is so… simple."

Heero merely shrugged again. "Some things are." Relena laughed and shook her head.

"Not with us. Not usually. Things are much more complicated…" Her voice trailed off into a sigh as she made a vague gesture with her hands.

He frowned as his eyes seemed to study her. "They don't have to be."

"No? How would you suggest we fix that, then?" She scooted her chair toward his.

"First, stop getting kidnapped. Although you seem to have a penchant for it." His tone was sharp, but his eyes glimmered.

"As if that's my fault." Her eyes rolled.

"It's highly preventable," Heero continued, reproach seeping into his tone. "You could start by taking a bodyguard. I wondered why you didn't when you left Brussels."

"Ah, so that's why you're really here." Relena leaned forward and poked Heero's arm. "You've come to look after me?"

"Someone has to." His eyes tightened. "We have to avoid situations like last week's at all costs. You're too important."

Relena sighed, sinking her hand into her palm once more. "And here I thought you were here on a friendly visit." But no, as usual Heero Yuy was all business. Relena's vaguely romantic hopes dwindled as he glowered at her.

"I am your friend," he said slowly. "And that means I care about your wellbeing. You need to take more precautions."

"I know, you're right," she acquiesced with another sigh. "I figured we were safe, since you managed to thwart the only threat I've had in quite a while…"

Heero frowned and shook his head. "There will be others. You shouldn't have come here all alone."

"But it is safe here." Relena jabbed a finger in his direction. "We do have a security system set up, you know-"

"You mean this?" Heero reached into his pocket and retrieved her rusty set of keys. "That hardly qualifies."

"Not just that," she sighed impatiently. "We have surveillance, too, you know."

"Right." He did not appear to be impressed. "And when's the last time you had the system updated?"

Relena's nose crinkled. "I'm… not sure. I handed over that responsibility to our groundskeeper. Ever since the school closed…" Her words broke off into another sigh, and she pressed two fingers to her temple. Heero looked concerned.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just have a lot of things to figure out," Relena sighed again. "That's one of the reasons I came up here, to try to decide what to do with this place." She spread her hands, gesturing around them. "I mean, it's not doing any good just sitting here all abandoned, is it?"

Heero frowned and leaned forward in his seat, apparently eager to problem-solve. "Why did it cease to be a school?"

"Well, when the war intensified, I ended up going back to space and could no longer uphold my responsibilities here. And then, of course, I took over my father's position…"

"Right." Heero nodded. "Why didn't it reopen after the war ended?"

"Funding," Relena answered, clasping her hands in front of her. "Or, rather, lack thereof."

Heero's brow furrowed. "Didn't you charge tuition?" Relena shook her head.

"No, the whole point was to provide free education. Problem was, we couldn't afford it."

"So why don't you just start charging?"

"According to my accountant, we still wouldn't be able to afford teacher salaries and materials," Relena said, frowning. "Not to mention the costs of upkeep, food and everything else… Not even my inheritance, combined with my annual salary, could keep this place afloat."

"So why don't you sell," Heero suggested. "Let someone else worry about it."

"I know, I probably should." Relena's eyes turned wistful. "It's just… hard to imagine letting go, completely. I mean, I don't remember much of my childhood here, but knowing this place belonged to my family for centuries, well…" She turned her bracelet over in hand. "As you can see, I'm rather attached to heirlooms."

"I understand." Heero's dark eyes rested on hers. "I would probably feel the same way, if I had any." Relena smiled sympathetically and reached across the table for his hand.

"We have to hold onto whatever we can," she said softly, giving his hand a squeeze before releasing it. "This place ought to be an orphanage. That seems like the right thing to do. But how to afford it?"

"Write a grant," Heero said simply. His no-nonsense expression made Relena break into a laugh.

"You have all the answers, don't you?" He just shrugged.

"It's not that hard. Sometimes you just have to find creative ways of doing things. But I'm sure you could make a case for this place, and get someone to listen. You are by far the most influential person I know." Relena's eyes widened at the generous compliment, before her features relaxed into a smile.

"Heero Yuy, you're quite the flatterer, when you want to be."

"I mean it," he said sharply, and his gaze was serious. But then he abruptly broke eye contact, pushed up from his chair and gathered up his and Relena's dishes, depositing them in the nearby sink. "Let's go."

Relena's eyes danced up at him from where she sat. "Where are we going?"

Heero reached for her hand and pulled her up from her seat, giving her a smirk that almost looked wicked.

"We're going to implement new security measures." Relena's brows shot up.

"Such as…?"

"You'll see." Heero strode out of the kitchen, pulling Relena along behind him, heading toward the large staircase in the grand hall. Was he leading them upstairs? Relena's mind whirred. What on Earth for?! "But first," he continued from in front of her, "you'll have to go change."

"B-but why?" Relena sputtered. "I don't understand…"

Heero halted in front of the stairs and turned, frowning as he looked her up and down. "Do you have anything less… dressy?"

Relena glanced down at her casual attire. "Less dressy than this?"

"Yeah. I think I saw some old P.E. uniforms upstairs. Something like that should work." Heero turned back around and started marching up the stairs. Relena followed after him, equal parts intrigued and bewildered.

"Okay… when you said new security measures… this is not what I thought you meant. At all." Relena dropped her head and panted, bending to place her hands on either knee as she struggled to catch her breath. Heero just smirked at her from the top of the stairs.

"Again," he barked, holding up a stopwatch. "Let's go."

Relena swung up her head and glared at him. "Stair drills? Really?" She reached up to push her damp bangs off her sweaty-drenched forehead. "What is this, bootcamp?"

Heero shook his head before descending the stairs. "I don't know what you're complaining about. You're doing really well; you're in better shape than I thought, actually."

Relena rolled her eyes. "Wow, thanks."

"I mean it. You're actually pretty fast." Heero stepped off the bottom stair and gave Relena an appraising look. "You just need to increase your strength."

"And what, may I ask, for?" Relena splayed her hands. "I thought you suggested I hire a bodyguard? And I thought you volunteered for the job." She emphasized her point by jabbing a finger in his direction.

Heero came to a stop just in front of her. "I did. And I will do whatever I can to protect you." He gazed at her steadily. "But what if something happens to me? You have to be prepared to defend yourself."

To her surprise, he reached out and tugged the end of her ponytail; it was the second time in a 24-hour period he had made the same move. Relena caught her breath, wondering what, if anything, it meant.

Was Heero Yuy flirting with her?

Before she had a chance to further puzzle over his actions, he was lunging toward her.

"Think fast," he warned, but it was already too late; Heero's arms encircled Relena, crushing her back against his chest, pinning both her arms to her sides.

"Heero!" she gasped. "What the-"

"Try to break free," he said casually, as if holding her down took him little to no effort. Relena struggled against his grasp. "Your feet," he suggested. She tried, but she couldn't seem to get them to move; they felt like jelly. The rest of her threatened to melt away, too, as he held her. Relena's face darkened.

"I'm trying," she complained as his arms tightened around her. "You're hurting me." His grip loosened, and she managed to wriggle free, spinning around to face him.

"Now, what was the point of that?" she challenged, arching a skeptical brow while balling both her hands at her hips.

"A real attacker wouldn't be so courteous," Heero said flatly, ignoring her question.

"You never know." Relena smiled and tipped her head to the side. "My last captors offered me tea." He gaped at her for a beat before shaking his head.

"Relena, I can't believe I have to say this, but… Never drink the tea."

"Hey! In my defense, I didn't know they were kidnappers at the time…" she started. Heero just shook his head again.

"Anyway." He adjusted his stance and raised two fists in front of him. "Let's try something else." Relena's brows raised again in question.

"What, on to martial arts, now?"

"Just hit me," he answered. Relena scoffed.

"Heero… no."

"Hit me," he repeated, giving her a "come on" gesture with his hand. "Throw your best punch."

Relena didn't have a "best" punch, and figured Heero ought to know that. She continued to look at him expectantly.

"Well?" He was starting to sound impatient.

"Are you being serious?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" His face was stern.

"This is stupid," Relena grumbled.

"You won't feel that way the next time someone comes after you," Heero glowered. "In that moment, do you want to feel terrified, or empowered? It's up to you."

Relena sighed. "Heero, I think I know what you ought to do for a job- self-defense training."

"Relena," he barked. "I'm waiting."

"Okay, fine." Relena attempted to copy Heero's stance, then pulled back her right arm and swung it in his direction with all her might. His hand came up to block hers.

"Not bad." He rewarded her with the barest hint of a smile. "I was expecting you to be much weaker."

"Hey!" She wagged a finger at him. "You said I'm in pretty good shape, so…"

"Yeah, well, you could still get more power behind your punch. We can work on that. Next time we'll do strength training."

Next time?! Relena wanted to scream. She was already exhausted and wasn't sure how much more Heero Yuy bootcamp she could realistically handle.

"Is this going to be, like, a daily thing?" Heero smirked at her.

"No. I'm trying not to kill you, this time."

Relena felt her jaw drop as he chuckled. "Wow. Heero's got jokes… Who knew?" She couldn't help but smile at him. "In all seriousness, I'd much rather stick to cardio; I don't want to get all bulked up."

Heero's laughter ceased as he reached out and squeezed Relena's bicep. "You won't get big with the right kind of conditioning. You'll see. Anyway, you're skinny. It wouldn't hurt for you to put on some weight."

"Well, so are you," Relena retorted. "Although, you are pretty strong…" She couldn't help but drag her eyes over his taut form. He was also wearing one of the school's P.E. uniforms, which consisted of a gray sweatshirt with matching sweatpants, although at some point he had shed the sweatshirt to reveal a fitted white tank top. It was all Relena could do to keep from visibly swooning.

"I'm stronger than I look." He shrugged. "You want to keep your opponent underestimating you." He took another defensive stance, raising both arms back in front of him. "Now let's see your kick."

Relena just stood gaping at him. "Aren't we done for the day?"

"Almost." He motioned toward her. "Just give me one good kick. Aim for my head." His instructions caused her to laugh out loud.

"Heero, I haven't done kicks since cheerleading!" Relena planted both hands at her hips. "This is ridiculous. When would I ever kick someone in self-defense? Wouldn't I just shoot them? In which case, I already know how to fire a gun-"

"Do you?" One of Heero's brows arched. "You'll have to show me, later. But for now, just kick me."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're quite bossy, Heero?"

"No one's ever had the chance." His eyes glinted.

Relena knew the only way to get Heero to stop was to do as he commanded. So she got back into the fighting position, tucked her arms to her torso and launched her right leg in the air, aiming for Heero's head, as instructed. She fully expected him to block with his arm, but she didn't anticipate him catching her foot, which sent her crashing to the floor.

"Heero!" Relena yelped as she fell backward and landed flat on her rear. She wanted to yell something else at him, but then he was on top of her, pushing her all the way down to the floor, pinning her arms above her head.

"That wasn't so good," he scolded, shaking his head even as a smirk tugged at his lips. "We'll have to work on that." Relena could feel her face burning as she looked up him helplessly. "Now try to get away," he taunted.

"You know very well that I can't," Relena said, her flush darkening. She could tell he was enjoying this, and she wasn't sure how to interpret that.

"You could try kneeing me in the groin." His eyes glinted down at her. "Key word being 'try.'"

Relena's eyes narrowed. "Oh, no, I wouldn't dare touch your manhood." She was all too aware of how that would sound, out loud, but couldn't resist saying it anyway. She smiled innocently up at him as his eyes widened. It seemed even Heero Yuy was capable of being taken by surprise.

And then Relena surprised herself even more. Heero released her wrists and started to move, but she sat straight up to face him so that they were almost nose to nose. His eyes went even rounder as she tipped up her chin and pressed her lips to his. For a heart-pounding second, neither of them moved, but then Relena broke away, embarrassed by her lack of self-control.

What was I thinking?! She screamed inwardly as she spun her beet red face away from his, too petrified to see what his expression might be after her brash action.

So much for keeping her feelings to herself. But it was too late; she had put herself out there, and now it was up to Heero to reciprocate. Or not. He hadn't kissed her back, not exactly; his lack of response told Relena everything she needed to know. Had she imagined his overt flirtations, or was Heero emotionally obtuse?

All Relena knew, in that moment, was that she needed to get away from him. And fast.

A/N: Hello, loves, and happy Monday! I'm trying to keep up with my writing and posting on a somewhat regular schedule, so please stay tuned, and thank you for all of your continued support! I know this story is a little slow to start (and a tad less dramatic than my usual fare, teehee), but I do hope you like where it's going! There is much more fun to come... I am continuing to write this and all of my other stories, because working on one thing at a time would be boring for me :D I promise to get all of my current WIPs updated soon!

Hope you're having a great week! And please review and let me know what you think of this story so far! What do you think will happen next? As always, I am open to suggestions...

Talk soon!

- RFP