Bright sunlight and the sound of birds chirping lured Relena out of her languid sleep. For a moment, she groaned into her pillow as pressure squeezed her head on either side, like a vice. Eventually she sat up and stretched, wondering why she felt sore. Then she remembered, and her heart plummeted to her stomach. She looked over at what any normal girl would probably flip for: a handsome, half-dressed acrobat in her bed.
Relena carefully lifted the duvet, caught glimpse of her own unclothed body, and flushed scarlet. At first she'd thought it had all been a feverish, forbidden dream. But the evidence was right there in front of her; she had spent the night getting acquainted with Trowa Barton, on a much more personal basis.
She flung her blanket aside, rose quietly and tiptoed as softly as she could across the room, into the bathroom. She turned on the shower and stepped inside, hoping the stream of water would reroute her thoughts. Instead, his name thrummed in her head, like a heartbeat.
Trowa. Trowa. Trowa.
She soaked her hair, hardly believing she had caved in to her little crush, just like that. What on Earth had come over her? She knew she'd had a bit to drink, but didn't think it was enough to impair her judgment. She'd woken up with a slight headache, but it didn't feel like the pounding kind she'd get from a hangover, so she couldn't have had that much. Then again, she had built up quite a tolerance to liquor over the past few years…
And she had to admit, as she soaped herself up, recalling his hands gliding over her, she had long harbored an attraction to Trowa. He always had this sexy, mysterious air about him. Even though she knew they were around the same age, she'd always thought he'd seemed a little older, worldlier. No doubt it was the street smarts he'd gained as a young mercenary, and then as a circus performer. And, about that… Relena smiled, thinking fondly of his masculine form. It was impossible not to marvel at his taut physique and athletic abilities. And, now, she had gotten to admire those features up close.
Another sensation washed over her as she showered. Guilt. She tried to force it away as she rinsed off the soap. She told herself what she had done was perfectly acceptable, given her circumstances. Heero had disappeared long ago, and she had done her best to soldier on without him. All alone, night after night, watching her phone, her window, her door. Waiting and praying for a call. A sign. Anything. And then, once she finally learned what had become of him, being informed, coldly, that the Heero she knew and loved was lost to her. Maybe even forever.
Perhaps by giving herself over to Trowa, she had given up on Heero prematurely, but then she couldn't see herself ever giving up. Not completely. What had transpired with Trowa… Well, she wasn't sure. She thought of the tender looks and kisses he'd given her throughout the night, and shivered. It was fun, but was that all it was? She would have to tell him not to expect much more, she decided. She could be firm on that. She would have to be.
Relena dressed quietly, taking extra time to press her work clothes and style her hair, turning herself back into the impeccably put-together Foreign Minister Darlian she usually was. Last night, perhaps unbeknownst to Trowa, she had been channeling more of Faye Oaks…
Once she was dressed, she padded down to the kitchen and started the coffee. She normally took hers to go, but decided to use her under-utilized French press that morning, just for him. She knew he favored a strong brew. Once it was ready, she brought a steaming mug up to her bedroom, and perched on the end of the bed. After a moment, it did the trick. Trowa opened his eyes and turned his head toward the wafting scent.
"Good morning." She smiled and pushed the mug toward him. Trowa sat up, the blanket slipping from his chest to puddle around his hips. Relena glanced away, blushing as she caught sight of those finely-tuned acrobatic muscles. Evidently, his acrobatic skills were useful in several areas...
"Thank you." He grabbed the handle and smiled gratefully at her before taking a sip. "That's good java," he said. His long bangs obscured one eye, and Relena fought the urge to smooth them off of his face.
"I'm glad you like it," she replied softly. She couldn't help letting her eyes flick over his bare chest again. Her cheeks turned pink when their eyes met. He clearly noticed she'd been staring.
"Look, Trowa, I…" His smile faltered, and his eyes hardened slightly. "I'm sorry." She giggled out of sheer nervousness. "I hope this isn't going to be weird."
Trowa frowned but calmly sipped his coffee before speaking. "It doesn't have to be."
"It's just... I know I'm not in the best place right now," she sighed. "I had a lot to drink last night and wasn't thinking clearly, and…" She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, her fingers twitching with nervous energy.
"Relena." Trowa gave her a knowing look and set the mug down on her nightstand. "You don't have to make excuses. It happened. It's fine. We don't have to do anything more about it, if you don't want to." His green eyes glittered. "But there's something you should know."
She arched both brows. "What's that?"
He leaned forward and took her hands in his. "I like you," he said matter-of-factly. Her heart flipped. "I'd like for this to be more than a one-time thing. If that's not what you want, though, it's okay."
Relena blinked, staring at him. Her earlier anticipation of the obligatory conversation faded away as Trowa released one of her hands and picked up his mug.
"I know you're dealing with a lot right now. And anyway, my job keeps me traveling most months of the year," he added, catching her gaze for just a moment before looking away again. "But, in the meantime, if I can be a friend to you, while I'm here…"
Relena's mouth opened to respond, but no words came to mind. She wasn't sure, exactly, what Trowa was offering her. So. He remained a mystery to her, after all.
Her phone on the nightstand vibrated, and the stock ringtone cut through the awkward silence. Relena jumped at the chance to redirect the conversation and picked up her phone. It was Une.
"Yes?" Relena asked into the phone. She listened for a moment while Une asked Relena to join her at the Preventer headquarters that morning to discuss the details of the previous night's meeting. Relena blushed, thinking of a different meeting altogether. "Okay. I'll be there soon." She hung up and glanced at Trowa, who was still drinking his coffee.
"I need to go see Une," she said. Trowa nodded, set the cup aside, and rose from the bed. The blanket fell all the way to the floor, revealing his boxers. Relena glanced away, turning her attention back to her phone.
"I'll drive," Trowa offered, and pulled on his jeans.
Trowa guided his motorcycle into Relena's reserved parking space at the Preventers headquarters, knowing full well it would look out of place there, considering what the Foreign Minister-turned-agent usually drove. But Relena had eagerly agreed when he suggested taking it, and he had enjoyed their brief ride through downtown Brussels. Her hands gripped his chest the whole time, conjuring up new, pleasant memories Trowa preferred to keep at the forefront of his mind.
He was also grateful for the silent ride, courtesy of the noisy bike. He could tell Relena was anxious, and wanted to avoid any further talk of what their relationship status may or may not be. All he knew was that he had zero regrets over sleeping with her; he had hoped she'd feel the same. Given everything that was happening with Heero, he also knew better than to expect anything permanent.
But if Trowa could indulge his desires, he would be returning to her bed, and soon. It had been a while since he'd had the luxury of sex in an actual bed, and hers was quite the upgrade from the cot he kept in his trailer. His nomadic lifestyle meant the encounters he had, when he had them, happened on the road. But his collection of past flings were nothing compared to what he'd shared with Relena. For one thing, they already had a connection; if Trowa allowed himself to go there, he could see himself falling for her. Hard.
For now, he focused on escorting Relena to her meeting, and serving whatever role she saw fit for him. He could play consort to the former queen, if that's what she wanted; he was already a court jester of sorts.
As they approached the Preventer lobby, Trowa fumbled in his wallet for his Preventer ID card. He usually kept it stashed away, since he rarely went to the headquarters building. He found it tucked between two other cards and swiped to let himself in the building, trailing behind Relena.
Inside, a few people greeted Relena with nods and waves, which she returned. Trowa caught up to her and fell into step beside her. "You know a lot of these people?" Trowa asked, glancing around the lobby. Relena shrugged her shoulders.
"They know me. I don't really know them," she said, her voice flat. Trowa blinked, but said nothing as she led the way to the elevators. Relena pressed the button for the floor where Une's office was located, and they rose up in silence; Relena appeared to be typing something frantically on her phone, the little clicks of her phone's keyboard overlapping into one continuous sound.
The elevator halted and the doors opened. The space looked different than Trowa remembered; Une must have gotten the floor remodeled. Before, the space simply opened up to her office. Now, there was a carpeted lobby, with two assistants sitting at their own desks outside a large, wooden door. Relena nodded to the assistants.
"She's expecting you," the one on the right said. They walked to the door, and Relena grabbed the handle and pushed it open.
Une was inside, sitting at her desk. It had been a while since Trowa had last seen her; she looked older, and he thought he could see a streak of gray running through her brown hair. She looked up with tired eyes.
"Good morning," she said without much emotion. When her gaze landed on Trowa, she frowned. "Barton, what are you doing here?"
"He's here because of me," Relena said. Une's eyebrows rose in question, waiting for further explanation. "I… I asked him to cover me while I went to the Abbott meeting." Trowa blinked, but he tried to hide his surprise. She was lying to cover for him following her.
Une grunted and stepped out from behind her desk. "How much do you know?" she asked as she walked to a sideboard. Crystal decanters stood in a neat row behind a line of crystal tumblers. Une picked up the decanter on the end and poured herself a glass of something amber-colored.
"He knows everything," Relena answered. Une leaned against the front of her desk and sighed.
"Welcome to the mission, then," she said with resignation, and shifted her gaze to Relena. "How did the meeting go?"
"Do you want to wait for Wufei?" Relena asked. Une shrugged and took a sip from her glass.
"I tend to get different stories from the both of you," she said. "What's your side?"
Relena quickly recounted the events of the previous night. Trowa noticed some hesitation in her voice when she reached the part of her story about Heero's memories. Une brought her glass to her lips and tapped the glass with a fingernail.
"Lost his memories? Interesting," she murmured. Beside him, Relena fidgeted, but added nothing else to the story. Une took another sip when the door to her office opened, and Wufei strode inside. Trowa noticed that Wufei landed a hard expression on him the moment their eyes met.
"What are you doing here?" Wufei asked Trowa, joining their conversation. The atmosphere of tension and fury surrounding Wufei was almost too much for Trowa to handle. Even Relena shifted uneasily on her feet.
"He has apparently been informed about the mission by Agent Rain," Une said.
Wufei's mouth was set in a hard line. "You know," he said to Trowa, "I was notified that we had an intruder last night. I had to play dumb when I was confronted about it."
Trowa failed to see why that was his problem, and simply shrugged. "Sorry for causing unnecessary tension in your workplace."
Wufei's lip curled into a snarl. "I'm glad you find it amusing. The fact is, I've been embedded in this investigation for months. To have you try to muscle your way in at the eleventh hour is, frankly, insulting."
Trowa smirked, suppressing the urge to burst out laughing. He found it hard to take Wufei seriously when the man was so cantankerous. Relena, however, gasped and whirled on Wufei.
"That's not fair!" she said, pointing a finger at him indignantly. "Trowa only found out about this because he followed me." Trowa cringed, but still couldn't help but admire the way she immediately rose to his defense. Unfortunately, Une's eyes snapped to Relena, having caught the little lie from before.
"And how did he manage to do that?" Wufei folded his arms and matched Relena's icy glare, not noticing Une's rising irritation. "Clearly you left yourself open. But how and why you two got involved is more than I care to know..."
"Good, because it's none of your business," Trowa said coolly. Une arched a single brow while Relena flushed. "And anyway, I'm curious to know whose side you're actually on."
"Are you serious?" Wufei released a labored sigh and turned to Une. "Commander, would you mind explaining to Barton, once again, why-"
"Why you're comfortable conducting experiments on your old friend?" Trowa felt Relena tense beside him. He ignored the instinct to put his arm around her and shield her from the discussion, but thought perhaps that would be going overboard, given the fact that she had probably already heard the worst.
Wufei grunted. "Remind me when you became such an expert..."
"If you'll remind me when we started leaving behind our own," Trowa countered. Relena's eyes widened. Une cleared her throat.
"Agent Seed," she cautioned. He turned his head at the use of his codename, something he hadn't heard in a while. Relena's face paled.
"That's your codename?" she hissed. Trowa didn't answer, keeping his gaze trained on Une.
"This isn't how we normally prefer to do things," Une said evenly, her features impassive. "But this particular mission is complicated. Heero became a victim of something far bigger than ourselves."
Beside him, Relena winced. Trowa shot her a glance and she met his eyes briefly. His heart wrenched over the sorrow he saw there. It didn't seem fair for someone so beautiful to be so broken. Someone who had become so important to him. He truly felt she was his now, however misguided the thought may be; his inclination to protect her from any and everything was strong, whether she needed him or not. He turned back to face Une.
"Why put Relena through this?"
"She's the one who insisted on being part of this," Wufei cut in, frowning at Une. "We have full-time agents for this level of work, you know." He looked pointedly at Trowa.
"That's enough," Une sighed. "Both agents Seed and Rain have more than proven their worth, Agent Jade." Trowa held back a snort. Une met the gaze of each of them before pressing on. "In spite of personal feelings about this mission, we cannot stray from our plan. Wufei is right that he has been working for months to secure his position within the research institute, and Relena is on the trail of both the institute and the members of the ESUN behind this… research. Trowa, if you're joining the team, you are forbidden from compromising the mission in any way."
Trowa's body went rigid, and Wufei smirked. Une's insinuation was unfair- he had no intentions of compromising the mission. He merely wanted to make sure that Relena would be all right. But he swallowed his pride and nodded.
"Of course, Commander."
Once again, Une met the gaze of each person. "Further instructions will be sent along later this evening." She threw back the last of whatever she'd been drinking during the meeting and set the glass on the edge of her desk. "You're dismissed."
Trowa saw Wufei throw a dirty look in his direction, but he said nothing else and left the office. Relena turned away from Une and gripped Trowa's bicep, pulling him toward the door.
"Let's go. I have to get to the ESUN building," she said. Trowa nodded and followed her out.
A/N: Thank you to all the readers and reviewers so far! We hope to see more 3xR people emerge... we know you're out there! Happy Sunday Funday!
- The Squad
