Outside of Relena's townhouse, she forced her foot down on the brake until the Mercedes squealed to a halt along the curb. She gathered up the various items scattered around the inside of the car, shoved them into her purse and climbed out onto the street. A headache throbbed in her temples as she made her way across the sidewalk.
She glanced around. Normally, her street was quiet at this time of night, but somewhere off in the distance, she thought she could hear the sound of an engine. A motorcycle, maybe? Most of her neighborhood was made up of young families- people who had given up dreams of motorcycles long ago. Relena shook her head and walked up the steps to her front door. It was probably just some young person out for a joyride.
Relena unlocked her front door and stepped inside. She discarded her boots on the floor beside the door and tossed her purse to the side. Despite the brick walls of her townhouse, she thought she heard the sound of the motorcycle becoming louder.
"Stop being paranoid," she chided herself as she walked up the stairs to her bedroom.
Relena discarded her clothes on the floor and wrapped herself in her favorite white, silk robe. She walked into the bathroom and ran her hands through her blond hair while staring at herself in the mirror. Her colored contacts had changed her blue eyes to green. She picked up a contact case and quickly popped out the contacts and set them in solution. When she looked back up at her reflection, she looked like herself again. She was pretending to be someone else so often these days, she hardly knew who she was anymore. Where had Relena Darlian gone?
The rumble of the motorcycle drew her from her thoughts. She hurried from the bathroom and slipped up to the window at the front of the townhouse. Peering around the curtain, she looked down at the street.
To her dismay, a motorcycle was parked behind her Mercedes. A tall, familiar-looking form climbed off the bike and pulled off the helmet.
"Trowa," Relena gasped. How long had he been following her? She watched him trot up to her porch and climb the steps. A moment later, she heard him pounding on the front door. "Damn it."
She turned away from the window and hurried down the steps. She threw open the front door, revealing a worried-looking Trowa. "What are you doing here?" she asked, glancing past him up and down the street.
"I wasn't followed," he said. Relena looked up at him, and saw a glimmer of the former Gundam pilot in his eyes. She sighed and stepped back, allowing him to enter the townhouse. She closed the door and locked it, then whirled on him.
"Answer my question," she demanded, planting her hands on her hips. It was then that she realized she wore only her robe. Trowa's cheeks had gone pink, and he appeared to be avoiding eye contact as much as possible. His gaze was trained on a photo that hung on the wall of the hallway. Relena tightened her robe around her waist.
"I had to know what you were up to," he said, finally meeting her eyes. She continued to frown at him, waiting for further explanation. "I thought you might be in danger."
"I told you, I can handle myself," she said, though some of her anger was already slipping away. She couldn't blame him for being worried about her. The last time they had seen each other, she was still being followed around by a gaggle of bodyguards.
"I see that, now," Trowa said. "So." His eyes shifted. "Is Heero this… Weapon Z?"
Relena flinched. So he'd broken into the research institute. That wasn't a surprise.
"How much did you hear?" she asked.
"Enough." He paused, staring at her. She fidgeted. "You told me you haven't heard from him in two years, that he disappeared. Was that a lie?"
Relena shook her head.
"It wasn't a lie. He did disappear. Wufei found out where Heero disappeared to while investigating that research institute. He didn't know at first that Heero had been captured to be used as an experiment. And when Une informed me, I had to get involved…" Tears burned in Relena's eyes. She turned away, trying to hold back the emotions she'd been stifling for so long. Faye Oaks wouldn't cry over a man, and neither should Relena.
But she wasn't really Faye Oaks.
"You could have told me," Trowa said quietly. He placed a hand on Relena's shoulder, but she didn't turn around. Perhaps she didn't want to let him see her cry. "I could have helped," he added.
"Preventer's been keeping this quiet, since we found out," Relena said, seeming to regain her composure. "We only have a small team working on this. Of course, I wanted to launch an all-out rescue mission as soon as I found out, but I had to be talked down from the ledge…"
Trowa frowned. It was an unusual situation, to be sure, but Preventer had conducted plenty of covert missions in the past, and he had assisted in many himself. He briefly wondered why he wasn't called in for this one, given his talents in espionage and infiltration.
He also wondered why, now that they all knew where Heero was, no one had simply broken him out. Duo would have a field day…
He realized then he was unconsciously kneading Relena's shoulder. Her hand came up to rest on his.
"So why don't we break him out?" He voiced his musings. Of course, Trowa knew from what he'd overheard that this was easier said than done, considering Heero now possessed what sounded like superhuman strength and speed. But right now, he cared more about comforting Relena than being technically correct.
She laughed, but it was a bitter sound.
"Like I said, I want to, but I've been told it's a bad idea." She squeezed Trowa's hand. "Wufei says, his recovery is not priority." She sighed. "This is about preventing future wrongdoings..."
"Business as usual," Trowa quipped. Relena tilted her head back to look at him, her blue eyes a swirling storm. "Sometimes I think Preventer spends too long investigating when they could go ahead and act," he added. Even if he did understand why this was sometimes necessary, he needed her to know where he stood on the matter. And he wanted to be clear that he was on her side.
"You and me both," she murmured. "There has to be a better way."
"I'm sure there is," he said, as soothingly as he could manage. "We'll find it."
"You'll help?" Her eyes were hopeful, her voice thick with emotion.
"Of course." Trowa nodded once. "Whatever you need."
"What I need right now…" Relena stepped away from him and angled her head toward the kitchen. "... is another stiff drink."
He nodded his agreement. "I'll join you."
The scotch Relena unearthed from her liquor cabinet was stiff, all right, and ancient. Trowa never drank much whiskey, but he quickly adjusted to the bitter taste. They sat curled up on Relena's sofa and, as the night inched closer to morning, so did they to one another. Relena's robe had also loosened, to the point where Trowa saw more of her skin than he had in any of her previous ensembles. Not that he could complain.
When she snuggled up beside him, he lifted his arm and rested it on her shoulder, allowing her to rest her head on his. Her robe slipped open, enough to reveal the curve of her right breast, and Trowa's eyes lingered for longer than perhaps they should have. He took another long swig of his whiskey, willing himself to relax.
"Why," he wondered out loud, "did you come to my show tonight, when you had all this going on?"
Relena arched her back and nestled closer to him before answering.
"I didn't want to turn down your thoughtful invitation. And, anyway, I needed the distraction." She peered up at him through long, dark lashes that were so full, Trowa knew they had to be fake. Like the kind his sister wore for their shows. But they framed Relena's eyes perfectly and somehow made them look even bluer.
"And," she added, tracing a finger on his chest, fingering the fabric of his shirt. "I did want to see you. I assumed you wanted to see me, too..."
What about Heero? The elephant in the room crept into his mind as it had during their dinner earlier. If it were a real elephant, he would know how to handle it. But he had a feeling, the way Relena was behaving with him, that she didn't expect to reunite with Heero anytime soon. Trowa knew Relena well enough to know of her unwavering devotion to Gundam Pilot 01. And if she truly believed he would be coming back to her, there was no way she would be cuddled up on her couch with another man, wearing next to nothing. At the very least, it seemed uncharacteristic of her.
Despite that, Trowa was wondered why he wasn't already kissing her. Normally decorum would dictate that he refrain from giving in to his desires. But he had no idea what the right thing was, in this instance. Everything was blurred, especially his judgment.
Her soft voice wrested him from his thoughts. "You didn't answer my question."
"Hm?" He forced himself to look away from her cleavage again. Which was nearly impossible, since it was painfully obvious she was not wearing a bra.
Relena flushed and tore her own gaze away. Trowa cleared his throat and straightened up in his seat, hoping she wouldn't notice he needed to make adjustments, before his arousal became apparent.
"I don't think you fully answered my question," he said. "Why, when Une first called you, didn't you rush out of there? Hadn't you been waiting to find out Heero's whereabouts?" He was curious about the mission but also wanted to understand why Relena seemed to be able to turn her emotions on and off, with almost soldier-like precision.
"Oh, that I already knew." She flapped a hand. "Wufei infiltrated Abbott months ago and Une let me know as soon as he found Heero. What I didn't know was how he had done it. Une was calling me to tell me that I had successfully gotten clearance to attend tonight's board meeting, and that Wufei was going to be present as well. Tonight was the first chance we've had to compare notes, if you will."
Trowa frowned. "I gathered that much from crashing your meeting. What I didn't understand was the get-up..." Relena looked at him quizzically.
"The get-up? Oh, you mean my outfit?" She grinned slyly. "I know, it doesn't look like the sort of thing a business investor would wear. You see, they think I'm an international spy interested in developing their 'weapon' for my own nefarious purposes. And that I'll pay big bucks to get my hands on it."
Trowa's frown deepened. "I suppose it makes more sense than sending Relena Darlian in to investigate on behalf of ESUN. But haven't you already been doing undercover work for the Preventers?"
"As Faye Oaks, yes." Relena's eyes glittered. "I love her."
"She's not real, you know," Trowa said as he rubbed her shoulder.
"Of course she is." Relena rolled her eyes before taking a sip of scotch. "She's me, silly."
"Right. Of course." Trowa wondered if Relena was adopting the identity, the way he had Trowa Barton.
"She makes me stronger," Relena continued, moving to set her empty glass on the coffee table. The move severed their embrace, which Trowa found disappointing.
"You were strong already," he noted. "You've always been strong, as Relena Peacecraft or Relena Darlian."
Her eyes darkened. "Relena Peacecraft is retired, and Relena Darlian can't do nearly as much as she thinks she can." She reached for the bottle of scotch and refilled her glass with trembling hands.
"I disagree," Trowa said evenly. "Relena with either surname could lead an army, if she wanted. At the very least, you could run for President of ESUN and win, because people believe in your vision."
To his surprise, Relena snorted. "My vision? You mean the idyllic worldview I latched onto as a lovestruck teenager?" She scoffed. "The whole reason I got involved in politics was because I wanted to make the world a better place for him, and the rest of you Gundam pilots. Mostly for him, though. No offense." She paused to sip her drink.
"You fell in love," said Trowa, leaning forward to refill his own glass. "There's nothing wrong with that."
"Seems like a pretty shallow reason to start a career." Relena threw back the remaining liquid in her glass and set it down on her coffee table.
Trowa angled his body to face her, resting his elbows on his knees. "Love isn't shallow, Relena. It's something that connects people. You took it and harnessed it to benefit the greater good. Few people are capable of doing such a thing."
Relena looked at him wordlessly and wide-eyed for a moment before lowering her gaze to her lap. "You make me sound far less selfish than I actually am. But the truth is, the longer I'm apart from Heero, the more I lose my resolve to help other people, or even continue in politics." She sighed deeply, her shoulders heaving, as if she had unloaded some great secret. "It sounds awful, I know."
"No, it doesn't," Trowa responded calmly, moving his arm to rub her back. "You've been doing this for a long time. It's difficult to stay motivated and easy to lose heart. Anyone else probably would have given up, long ago."
Relena's eyes misted as she nodded. "I… I just don't think I can go on like this. Not if he's lost to me forever."
Trowa frowned. "You don't think Preventer will bring him back?"
"I don't know." Relena began dabbing at her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. "I want to keep hoping, but it doesn't seem likely. At least, not according to Wufei."
"Maybe he was referring more to recovering Heero's memories, versus his person," Trowa suggested.
"Maybe," she whispered. But her eyes were shrouded in doubt.
Trowa continued rubbing her back in slow circles. "I lost my memories, you know."
"Yes, I heard." Relena smiled at him, an expression tinged with pity, but he didn't mind. At least she was smiling again. "Did you ever regain any of them?"
"Some. Here and there." Trowa shrugged one shoulder. "But there are some parts of my life that are just… blank."
"I'm sorry." Relena's tone matched the sorrow in her eyes as she reached over and grasped his hand. "That must be so hard."
"It's all right." Trowa squeezed her hand in return. "As the saying goes, you can't miss what you never had. And, anyway…" He smiled sadly. "I'm sure there are plenty of things I'd rather not remember."
"I understand, I think." Relena's eyes held a faraway glimmer. "Most of my early childhood is blank, too." She made a sweeping motion with her free hand, the other still clutching his. "I was old enough to remember my birth parents when they were killed, but I just don't. And I don't remember being adopted by the Darlians, either." She leaned forward so that their knees were touching. "But I seem to remember some things from infancy, like learning to walk, although I picture my adoptive mother instead of my birth mother." She shook her head, frowning. "It's odd."
"Your mind blocked the trauma and supplanted it with something else." Trowa rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. "Like rewriting history."
"Guess so." Relena exhaled and leaned back against the couch cushions, keeping her hand on Trowa's. She rested her other arm along the back of the sofa and leaned her chin into her hand, turning her head to gaze out the window behind them. "I don't know…"
Her blond hair shone silver in the moonlight, the silk of her robe shimmering. Once again, Trowa's eyes were drawn to where the deep v-neck of her robe revealed a tantalizing amount of skin, which he imagined was impossibly soft to the touch. She looked so beautiful and vulnerable in the moment, it took all of Trowa's self-control to keep himself from taking her in his arms and kissing her. Even though her hand was on his, and he was almost certain she would consent to such a gesture, he still couldn't ignore the gnawing thought that she wasn't his to touch.
He shifted in his seat again, wondering if she was even aware of his struggle.
"Well," he said, trying for a subject change, "what's past is past. We can always make new memories."
He didn't expect his flippant words to affect Relena on a deeper level, but she turned her head back toward him, looking at him as if he had said something profound.
"You're right, Trowa." She nodded resolutely. "You're absolutely right."
And then she launched herself into his arms, flinging her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. Trowa wasn't prepared for the sudden contact, but caught her and held her tightly against him.
"It's all right, Relena." He patted her back in comfort, even though she wasn't crying. He wondered if she might, but she remained still in his arms. Trowa kept his hands on her back, once again enamored with her flimsy robe, enjoying the feel of the silk beneath his fingers, wondering more about her skin underneath.
When Relena at last pulled away, tears rimmed her eyes and her cheeks were flushed.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, tearing her gaze away, half-covering her face with her hand. She made a sound that was between a gasp and a sob. "I'm such a mess…"
Trowa's protective instincts swelled in his chest. He brought his hand to her face and carefully pried hers away.
"Come here," he said softly, taking her hand and pulling her gently toward him. Relena lifted her tear-streaked face to look at him, her eyes full of questions, but turned her body so that she was facing him fully. Trowa closed the small distance between them, leaning his forehead against hers.
"I told you, I'm here for you." He closed his eyes as he said it, wanting to savor their newfound connection. "Whatever you need."
Her voice hitched, but she managed to whisper, "Thank you, Trowa," just before their lips met.
Trowa couldn't even tell who had leaned forward and completed the movement first, but it didn't matter. His heart thudded wildly as he focused on the feel of her lips against his. Soft, supple, just as he'd imagined. As he imagined other parts of her would be…
He let out a quiet groan as their lips parted, then met again. He brought his hands up to cup her face and deepened the kiss. He half-expected her to pull back, but she welcomed it, parting her lips so he could push his tongue inside. As he enjoyed their interplay, his hands drifted down to her neck, massaging lightly along her collarbone. He pushed the top of her robe back enough to reveal silken shoulders, which he took time caressing before moving on to other places he yearned to explore. But there was time. He didn't want to rush. He wanted to relish every moment of this memory in the making.
A/N: YAS. We went there. If you're enjoying this story, please give it a follow and/or favorite and review! Thank you to the 3xR lovelies who have come out of the woodwork so far (you know who you are, Team Trowa!).
- The Glam Squad
