Relena watched Trowa closely as they entered the elevator together, stepping behind him as he pressed the button for the lobby. The air seemed to crinkle, and she realized it wasn't the thin air inside the elevator, but the static between them.
"Did you mean what you said back there?" she asked quietly. "About Heero?" She cocked her head and waited while he glanced back at her.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you're still willing to help me bring him back? Even after…" She flushed and lowered her eyes. Even after last night...
"Of course," Trowa answered, his face unreadable. "As I'm sure you already know, it's been a long time since I've seen or talked to Heero. But even though we've lost touch through the years, I'll always consider him a friend." His eyes hardened. "And now that I know what's happening, I can't ignore it. He needs our help."
Relena's composure slipped. She nodded, biting her lip, blinking back tears. Trowa placed a hand on her arm, his green eyes full of compassion.
"Thank you," she whispered, as the elevator doors opened. "You don't know what that means to me."
Trowa gave her a lingering look before stepping out into the lobby. "I think I do."
Relena wondered how he could, unless he had loved and lost someone himself. Then again, during the war, almost everyone had. She walked briskly to keep up with him as they exited the building and headed for the parking lot.
"Were you ever in love?" She tossed the question at him. It seemed safe, out there in the open. He turned to look at her and slowed his steps.
"Once," was all he said before turning his back, leading the way to his motorcycle.
Relena couldn't help but wonder who, pushing down feelings of jealousy. It was obviously a kneejerk reaction, since they'd just spent the night together. Even if she didn't feel that way about him, she was bound to feel slightly possessive of him, now. It was only natural, an involuntary chemical response.
She wondered why Trowa didn't seem to be jealous of Heero at all… unless maybe he really was looking for a friends-with-benefits situation. Relena's face burned at the thought. She wasn't sure if she could handle that, or if she even wanted to try. She supposed that was what she and Heero had done - no formal arrangement - but it had always bothered her. She had always wanted more; he had always held back.
But Trowa?
Relena watched as he sat down on the bike, then handed her the only helmet he had. She took it from him and fastened it on before sitting down behind him, cautiously wrapping her arms around his middle.
He had told her exactly what he wanted. It was refreshing, and yet unnerving, to encounter a man who seemed to say precisely what was on his mind. Nothing more, nothing less. It was tempting to ponder, if she chose to embark on this new path, where it might lead.
The bike roared to life, and Relena tightened her hold.
Trowa pulled up his bike in front of the ESUN building, and Relena hopped off, pulling off the helmet and handing it to him.
"Thanks for the ride," she said, her cheeks flushed. Trowa couldn't help but chuckle at how that sounded. Her blush darkened. "Anyway." She tipped her head at him. "Have a good show tonight." As she spoke, she took a quick glance around them. A few people in business suits appeared to gaping at them before turning away, out of politeness. Trowa knew, once again, the motorcycle was out of place, and so was he.
But he ignored the passersby to smile at the object of his affection, as if spending the night with her and taking her to work in the morning were part of his daily routine.
"Thanks," he said. "Have a good day at work. Busy day ahead?"
He wasn't sure why he couldn't just stop talking and drive away, like she clearly wanted him to. Something about her kept the words rolling, which was unusual for him. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and glanced over her shoulder again.
"Oh, I just have a string of meetings, as usual." She held up her wrist and checked her watch. "And since I'm getting a late start, I'll probably stay late tonight." Trowa nodded.
"Well, good luck." He wanted to say more but didn't want to hold her up any longer. This wasn't the most awkward post-coital goodbye he'd had, but he thought perhaps the tension would ease if he could kiss her. His gaze fell to her lips. She had kissed him on the cheek in parting last night, and that was before they'd had sex. But now they were in front of her workplace, not his, and hers was a different kind of circus. Trowa let his desire dwindle.
"Thank you." Relena turned back toward the steps leading up to the large, glass building.
"If you need anything," he called after her, "you know where to find me."
"Right." She turned back to look at him once more, and smiled faintly. "Take care."
Was that it? She seemed so cold and reserved now. Trowa didn't like how Relena seemed to turn her emotions on and off like a faucet. But he also knew he couldn't blame her for trying to grapple with her unfortunate twist of fate. He only hoped he could be a healing balm for her, if she'd let him.
He raised a hand to her in parting. "Be seeing you, then."
The clouds in her eyes seemed to part, at least for the moment, and she gave him a little wave. "'Bye, Trowa."
He waited until she'd disappeared inside the building, then sped off toward the circus.
Relena didn't look back when the doors of the ESUN building closed behind her. She heard Trowa's motorcycle speed away, the engine's roar fading as he drove further and further away. Relena approached the bank of elevators and jammed a finger on the "up" button and stepped back to wait.
Two middle-aged men entered the lobby and stopped near Relena. Their suits were pristine and crisp. Relena recognized the style as being a newer suit, likely by one of the more expensive designers. Their eyes hovered on Relena for a moment. She felt a chill crawl up her spine and into her hairline. She looked away when the elevator bell chimed. The silver doors slid open, and Relena stepped inside. The men followed in behind her.
They said nothing to her, but whispered to each other in one corner of the elevator. Relena had to force herself to relax. These men barely knew her, but she knew them. She knew everything about them. Or rather, Faye knew everything about them.
Jonathan Myers and Paul Moreau. Both ministers within the ESUN. Both with ties to the Abbott Memorial Research Institute, financial contributors with too much interest in the concept of reprogramming human beings. Faye had some major suspicions about their intentions. Relena determined that their current activities were linked to several other departments in the ESUN, all privately interested in alternative warfare methods.
The elevator slid to a halt on Relena's floor. She excused herself as she passed by the two men, leaving them to their whispers. Her heels tapped on the floor as she made her way to her office. As she passed through the door, she pushed away her concerns to focus on maintaining the peace.
The day passed by in a productive blur. She was thinking about wrapping up her activities for the time being, and hitting the gym, when her phone rang. Not Relena's phone. Faye's phone.
She pulled the phone from her purse and checked the caller ID. Dr. Feng Zan. With a deep frown, Relena answered the phone call.
"What is it?" she asked before Wufei could speak.
"I'm just calling to let you know we're planning to run a series of tests on the specimen tonight." Wufei's detached delivery was enough to make Relena shiver.
"Is that so?" she asked calmly. "What sorts of tests?"
"Mostly measuring strength and agility. We're seeing how he continues to respond to treatment," Wufei continued in a cold, systematic tone. "We're pleased with his progress, so far."
"Good," Relena breathed as her mind worked to read between the lines. She knew there was probably more that Wufei wanted to tell her, but couldn't.
"It's remarkable, really," he added, his voice perking up slightly. "From the data I've seen over the past year, it's amazing he even survived what they initially put him through." Relena drew in a ragged breath at his words. "But I'll have you know that we've managed to tone down some of the more archaic testing methods since I came onboard, in favor of more humane practices."
Relena released the breath she'd been holding, grateful for the small piece of information. "I appreciate that," she said softly, even though she was supposed to be Faye, in the moment, and shouldn't care. But she knew Wufei would have anticipated her honest reaction. "Can I see him?"
"No," Wufei barked immediately. "You don't have the clearance and even if you did, it wouldn't be smart."
"Right." Relena clucked her tongue. "But you'll continue to keep me in the loop, I trust?"
"Of course," he answered. "And there's one other thing."
"Yes?" Relena's heart drummed loudly in her ears.
"As we previously discussed, I'm looking into whether our replication of the Zero system could, in fact, be used to restore memory and/or persona, in this particular case." Relena sucked in another sharp breath.
"And?"
"And, it does look promising. However, I can't guarantee that we'll be able to utilize the technology again anytime soon. We would have to have very good reason and right now, restoring the subject's memories would only interfere with our cause."
"How so?" Relena glowered into the phone, newly irritated.
Wufei paused before lowering his voice. "He'd go mad, Relena." She stiffened at the use of her name.
"No, he wouldn't," she insisted. "He's much stronger than that."
"Right." Wufei chuckled darkly. "That's exactly the problem; we're dealing with a superhuman weapon here. There's no telling how he'd respond if he knew exactly what had been done to him. What he's lost."
Relena shuddered. "He has a right to know."
"We'll worry about that some other time," Wufei drolled. Relena could tell she was trying his patience. "I merely called to inform you of the next step, out of courtesy. But I should be going."
"All right," Relena sighed into the phone. "Thank you, for that."
She ended the call with Wufei and sank back against her desk chair, processing both the good and bad news. On the one hand, Heero was alive, and doing as well as could be expected. On the other hand, his memories were still gone, but there was a chance they could be restored. She thought of Trowa and what he had gone through, and the fact that he had recovered, and her hopes lifted. And then her thoughts wandered to other things she had learned about the other former Gundam pilot over the past twenty-four hours. She had gone from knowing a little about him to knowing him on a much deeper level, and it was jarring to think about in her waking hours.
Relena pressed her hands to her temples as lust and shame competed for her conscience. She forced the guilt away, willing herself to relax and fixate on pleasant things, welcoming the distraction. She closed her eyes and lost herself for a moment before rerouting her attention to her work.
When Trowa arrived back at the circus, there was a very annoyed redhead waiting for him in his trailer.
"Well there you are."
"Hey, Cathy." He tipped his head at his sister, as if nothing were amiss. She leapt up from where she sat on his primitive cot and immediately whirled on him, sending her curly bobbed hair swishing.
"Trowa Barton!" she screeched, her cheeks matching her hair. "You'd better start explaining yourself."
Trowa blinked at her. Despite the few years that separated them, Catherine had always taken on more of a mothering role. But he was in his late twenties and felt no need to explain himself to his thirty-something sister.
"What do you want to know?" he sighed, raking a hand through his hair, which was slick with the gel he'd used to style it for the show the night before. He needed a shower, but first he needed to placate his sister enough to get rid of her.
"Well, for starters…" Catherine folded her arms across her chest. "Did you enjoy your little joyride? On my bike?"
"I did, thanks." Trowa sank down on the cot, unlaced and pulled off his shoes. Catherine gaped at him.
"You could have at least asked me first."
"I gassed it up on my way back here. That okay?"
Catherine shook her head and released an exasperated sigh. "Next time just text me or something. I thought you were with Relena, in her car?"
"I was."
"So what, then, were you trying to impress her or something?"
Trowa smiled. Of course, he couldn't tell Catherine the truth. Not fully. "Something like that."
"Well, apparently it did the trick." Catherine gave an exaggerated eyeroll. "I'm assuming that's why you were out all night…"
"Correct," said Trowa, without elaborating any further. His sister's eyes went wide.
"Wow… I knew you liked her, but really? On the first date?"
"I don't know if I would call it a date, exactly." Trowa gave an impassive shrug.
"Oh, Trowa…" Catherine looked momentarily horrified. "I mean, I can't say I'm surprised, given your track record, but Relena? I didn't think she was that kind of girl…"
"Neither did I," said Trowa. An involuntary smile tugged at his lips. "Not that it bothers me…"
"Ew." His sister waved both hands in front of her face. "Spare me the details, please." Trowa just chuckled. Catherine rolled her eyes again before giving him a sharp, expectant look. "Well?"
"Well, what?"
"When are you seeing her again?"
"Oh." Trowa frowned, realizing he and Relena hadn't made any arrangements. The way they'd left things earlier, he still wasn't sure what she wanted. He had made his intentions clear; he wanted to see her again, as long as he was in the area. Of course, he wanted more than that, but he sensed Relena's hesitation and didn't want to push her away. So far, he planned to leave the ball in her court. "I don't know."
"Well, you want to keep seeing her, right? Just ask her out again." Catherine shrugged one shoulder, as if things were that simple. But, then, she had no idea.
"Yeah," said Trowa, his mind whirring with the new reality he had unwittingly dropped into. Faye Oaks. Abbott Industries. Heero.
"Aw, come on, bro… don't make that mopey face." Catherine plopped down beside him and slung an arm around his shoulders. "I mean, if she let you stay over, she must like you. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about."
"Right," Trowa answered his sister, but inwardly he scoffed. Nothing to worry about…
Hours later, after rehearsing for that night's show, Trowa was on his way to his trailer to take a short break before dinner when his phone blared with an incoming call. He recognized the number as one of many Preventer lines.
"Hello."
"Agent Seed, this is Gold."
Trowa knew it was Une as soon as he heard her speak, but greeted her nevertheless. "Yes, Commander. What can I do for you?"
"As promised, I have your instructions."
"I'm listening." Trowa glanced around before stepping inside his trailer and shutting the door. Not that he had to be especially discreet around his circus family; they all knew of his various "side jobs," even if he never gave anyone specific details.
"This concerns Agent Rain," said Une. "Is she with you?"
"No," Trowa answered as he sat down on his cot. "I dropped her off after our meeting this morning."
"At her office, I presume?"
"Yes."
"Good. She's probably still there, then."
"You need to get in touch with her?" Trowa frowned against the phone, wondering what this had to do with him.
"I need you to keep an eye on her," Une said. Trowa's eyes widened, but it was an audio call only, so Une wouldn't see his reaction.
"You mean… like a bodyguard?" Trowa brow crinkled in confusion. Relena had led him to believe she was more than capable of handling herself these days. "Hasn't Re… Rain had sufficient training?"
"I shouldn't have to remind you, Agent Seed, that I don't need to give justification for my orders," Une snapped.
"Sorry," Trowa muttered, willing her to go on.
"I have some concerns," Une said. "She's becoming… unbalanced. She appears to be splintering into her other persona."
"Dissociative identity?" Trowa guessed. He knew something of it, but knew that Une was more intimately familiar with the disorder.
"Affirmative," said Une. "I fear if we're not careful, she may go rogue on us."
Trowa nearly chuckled at the thought. Even in her black leather disguise, he couldn't picture Relena doing anything extreme. But orders were orders, and he knew he had to treat the matter seriously.
"I'll see what I can find out."
"Excellent. But don't give anything away." Trowa rolled his eyes at Une's instructions.
"You know I've done this sort of thing before, right?" he quipped.
"Obviously, but I also know you and Rain are… close. It wouldn't be difficult for her to work out what you're up to. You need to make arrangements with her under the guise of friendship. Or whatever you want to call it. Don't make this about the mission."
"Huh." Trowa was dumbfounded. His commander was asking him to… spend time with Relena. That was it.
"I'm sure you'll find a way to keep her preoccupied," Une said in a clipped, no-nonsense tone.
"For how long?"
"Long enough for us to get our arms around the situation," Une replied. "I'll update you when I can."
Trowa sighed. "Gold, she isn't going to like this. Rain doesn't want or need a babysitter."
"That's not up to either one of you," Une snapped. "You have your orders. Over and out." She hung up before Trowa could get in another word. He sat staring at his phone in his hand for a moment before working up the nerve to place a call of his own.
After a few rings, Relena answered breathlessly. "Hi. What's up?"
"Did I catch you at a bad time?"
"No. Just squeezing in a workout between meetings." Trowa let his mind linger on that image, and he smiled, imagining what training with Relena would be like, since he had seen she was in stellar shape. "So, what's up?" she repeated, sounding somewhat impatient.
"I… was wondering if you're free later tonight." Relena laughed at his question.
"You don't waste any time, do you?" Her tone was teasing. Trowa laughed as well, allowing himself to relax as he leaned back against his cot.
"Should I have waited the requisite three days to call?"
"No, it's fine. But let's just cut through all the pretext." Trowa was slightly surprised by Relena's directness. "Are you asking me out?"
"Um, yeah." Trowa cleared his throat as he sat back up. "Yes."
"Okay," Relena said.
"Okay?" That was easier than he had thought it would be; he had at least expected her to make excuses.
"I have to get going now," she continued briskly. "I need to shower and get back to work. Want to just let me know when you're done with your show, and I can meet you for a drink or something?"
"Uh, sure." Trowa fumbled for more creative words, but found they weren't forthcoming. "Where?"
"Why, our usual spot, darling." Relena laughed airily. She clearly meant The 27 Club again.
"That works."
"Good," Relena said brightly. "I'll see you later, then."
"Okay. Be seeing you."
By the time they ended the call, Trowa's head was pounding, his heart throbbing wildly. He was well aware of the sexual tension, but there was another, more dominant sensation he couldn't quite place.
It felt a lot like fear.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who is giving this story some love! We know 3xR is not the most popular pairing but are glad to know that some others do appreciate it. If you're a 3xR shipper and you're reading this, please let us know! Or if you want to see some more 1xR, let us know that, too!
We love you!
- RGS
