The Moon and the Stars

Chapter 9

Relena stops under a street light, catching her breath. She looks around and is unsure of where to go next. When she turns she sees a figure approaching and calls out "Who's there?" When they enter into the light, she smiles.

"Heero," she exclaims and hugs him. Heero is taken aback but then digresses, relaxing a bit within her embrace. He lifts his hand and puts in on top of her head, smiling slightly but she doesn't see. "I don't know where to go or what to do." Relena expresses, her face was glum and she closed her eyes to fight back her tears. She pulled back and told him what happened as Heero led her to the bus stop.

On the bus, she found comfort laying her head on his shoulder letting the tears come as the may. They finally got off at a stop close to a motel. Heero paid for the suite although the hostess was hesitant at giving them a room until she saw i.d verifying they were 18 years old.

They entered their room. There was a kitchen, a bed, and a shower with no doors to separate them. Relena sat on the bed and stared at the television although it was a blank screen. She looked over at Heero who stood by the door, taking off his jacket. She reached for the remote and turned on the television, only to be met with news, sad, depressing, news. Relena sighs a shaky sigh and turns the television back off. Heero sits down next to her on the bed and she stared at his lap.

"Relena," Heero said softly and she looked up into his Prussian blue eyes. "You should rest." He finished and Relena nodded. Heero got up at her response and walked away. She moved to the head of the bed, rested her head on the pillow, closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Relena woke up to find Heero sleeping on the chair beside the bed. He sat tipped slightly to one side with his arms crossed and eyes closed. Relena giggled quietly at the sight of his sleeping frame and slid off the bed heading for the window. The sky was grey; a heavy fog covered the air. Despite the weather, Relena felt incomparable warmth and unknown happiness within her heart. She looked at Heero and just the sight of him deepened this feeling.

A thought sprang up within her, she would cook him breakfast. The refrigerator in the suite would no doubt be empty so she checked her jacket pocket for some money. What she found would be enough for some ingredients and a cheap frying pan. Relena threw on her jacket and set off into the mist.

When she returned an hour and a half later, she was soaked. Relena didn't know this part of town and by the time she found the grocery store, it had begun to rain. She got her goods but was drenched in the process of returning. Relena shut the door behind her and locked it, dripping wet only to find the chair Heero occupied was now abandoned. She turned to see him approaching her, his hair wet from just showering and a towel tied around his waist. Relena blushed at the sight of his half naked body and averted her eyes.

"Where'd you go?" Heero asked inquisitively of her.

"Um I decided to get some breakfast stuff." Relena replied lifting up the bag to show him, then meeting his eyes to avoid his handsome physique that made her heart beat so. Heero reached for the bags to relieve her of her heavy load. "I even managed to get a cheap frying pan." She said smiling as he took the bags.

"You should take your clothes off, before you catch a cold." Relena's eyes widened at the remark and her face was the color of a cherry tomato. "I'll wash them for you." He finished as he placed the bags on the countertop. 'How embarrassing.' Relena thought but she decided to take his advice and went into the shower. She took off her clothes in there and put them outside of the shower in a neat pile, making sure the curtain was completely closed so Heero wouldn't see her when he came to pick up her clothes. She turned on the water, putting a generous amount of shampoo into her hair and smiled to herself as the warm water fell over her body. 'I hope I never wake up from this dream.'

When Relena finally finished showering her senses were overwhelmed by the smell of cooking food. She held the towel tightly to her thin frame and she looked around. She called Heero's name and he came over to her. "Hey," she said and smiled, "I wanted to cook for you." Heero smirked a little and remembering she was in nothing but a towel, Relena couldn't help but blush.

"I put one of my shirts there for you.' He told her and Relena looked over her shoulder to see it lying on the bed. "It's clean. I washed my stuff earlier, I'll check on your stuff now."

"Ok," Relena replied and smiled at him. He walked out of the room and she closed the curtains. She put on some lotion after drying her body off with her towel, then slid on Heero's shirt. 'That's it' Relena thought and the red spread over a cheeks. 'I guess he doesn't know about women's underclothes.' Luckily the shirt was enough to cover her whole body up to the mid thigh since she was petite.

Relena moved to the kitchen and saw that the only thing that wasn't cooked was the eggs, so she busied herself with making that until Heero returned. She looked over to him and smiled, which he returned with a small smile back. Then he put the toast and bacon in plates, placing them on the table. Relena added the eggs to them as Heero poured them milk in glasses. They sat together at the table and Relena couldn't help but smile at the thought of a life with Heero, she continued munching away at happiness.

"I wish this moment could last forever." Relena whispered dreamily and looked to Heero, who got up to clean off the contents of his plate. Relena got up to and touched his arm as he was about to open the faucet to clean his dish. "Let me do it," she said to him, "You've done so much for me already." Heero looked at her and walked to the bed, which he laid on looking up to the ceiling. Relena scrubbed the dishes with a rag and sometimes stopped lost in thought. She momentarily looked towards Heero to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

As soon as she finished with the dishes, Relena went to find where her clothes were washing and moved the content to the dryer, then returned to the room. She sat in the chair that Heero slept in the night before and rested her chin in her hand staring at Heero who was sleeping on the bed. Relena sighed at his handsome face and then Heero opened his eyes, turning to look at Relena.

"Relena, you know we have to go back." He said looking at the ceiling again. Relena sat back in the chair and looked at her hands.

"Today," she inquired quietly and Heero sat up, staring at her. He put a hand to her cheek to catch a tear that just passed along the side of her cheek. "Oh, Heero." Relena pronounced falling into his chest and throwing her arms around him. "I don't want to leave you." She looked into his eyes, "I..I love you." She confessed and searched his eyes, but they only stared blankly at her. He looked away then said in his usual monotone,

"Tonight we should go back." Relena choked back her tears and stared at his profile. She moved back, got up and ran for the door to the laundry room. When she got there she shut the door and slid down, sitting on the dirty floor. 'What am I thinking' she thought burying her head in her arms, 'Of course he doesn't love me.'

When Relena finally returned it was in her now clean clothes, she held Heero's shirt folded in her hands and she nodded at him. It was time to go back.

They stood under a street light across the street from Relena's house. "Well, I guess this is it." Relena sighed looking at the house then towards Heero and then she turned to face him. She felt stronger than she ever had been before. "Thank you Heero, thank you for everything." Relena stated from the bottom of her heart. Heero nodded at her and she turned around to cross the street when her hand was caught. Heero had her hand in his and swung her around, pulling her towards him which was met with a kiss on the lips. Relena was taken by surprise but soon melted into the kiss, living in the moment of his embrace. They hugged after and Heero whispered in her ear, "Be strong." She pulled back and nodded in response, incapable of words at the moment. "No more tears." He said and searched her eyes for a response.

"No more." Relena replied and she kissed him again on the mouth then ran across the street to the front door of her house. She wouldn't turn around when she got there she was too afraid to either find Heero gone or still there, either way she knew it make her want to follow him. Relena would face this battle, her heart was beating fast for she was afraid of who would meet her on the other side of the door.

The door opens.

The inside light pours into the night.

Her mom was behind it and they embrace.

Story written by Despair's Desire