DISCLAIMER: I don't own GW.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm back! At last. Sorry it took me SOOOOO long to update. I've been really, really crazy. I know this chapter is long, longer than the others, but she kind of had a lot to say and catch up on. Hope you enjoy! Please read and review.

I noticed that Duo was shocked. So was the short, beautiful brunette beside him. They were extremely uncomfortable at the moment and they gave each other a look. However, all this was registering in the back burner of my mind. I was concentrated only on the fact that Heero was frozen. His features were stuck in a position of complete and utter shock. His hand was frozen to the spot where he had been fixing this belt.

But then it was gone as if nothing. His hand finished its task. His eyes reset to their normal, calm expression. And it all happened in a millisecond, so fast in fact, that I wasn't sure whether I had really seen the expression or if I just wished that I had.

"So," Duo said, clearing his throat loudly. "We were just leaving."

"Just leaving," the brunette beside him repeated, dazed.

I forced my eyes from their rooted position on Heero's face and looked at Duo. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"So, uh, yeah," he stuttered. "We're going to go. Nice to see you again Relena."

And with that he and the girl rushed out the door, obviously relieved to get out of the room. They shut the door behind themselves and then it was just me and him in the room.

"Hello Heero," I repeated, surprised that my voice came out as normal as it did. Inside I was having a mini panic attack. Well, at least that was one good thing about having been in politics for so long. At least I could keep my voice from cracking.

"Relena," he said and I mentally flinched at the sound of his voice.

It hadn't changed. It was still deep and rich, meaning hidden behind the semi-monotone. I stood, dumbfounded and feeling stupid, still clutching my suitcase in my hand. Then he leaned forward, towards me and gently took the case from my hands.

"Why don't we have some tea?" he asked me in a soft voice.

I gave a small, loaded smile and nodded, not able to speak. It had been six years and the man still took my breath away.

He sat me down in a kitchen chair and got to work. He'd always been efficient and the tea was ready in no time. He placed a steaming hot mug into my hand, which I only now realized were cold, and sat across from me. He set his own mug down and waited. I took a sip from the tea and held it, warming my chilled fingers.

"I guess you're wondering why I'm here," I said finally. He didn't respond, just waited for me to finish. I gave a pathetic, little laugh. "I didn't know where else to go actually. I know I should've called or something, but I…"

He made a small movement, pushing aside my worries silently and absently turned his cup so that the picture was facing me. It was one of those ceramic mugs they etched three pictures onto. It was him, Duo, and the brunette I had seen with them. They were all laughing in this one, Duo giving his usual wide grin, the girl giving a twinkling laugh, and Heero's mouth pulled into an unusual smile.

I looked away from the picture, focusing on a point on the wall, trying to control myself. Heero didn't rush me. After a minute I looked back down at the swirling steam coming from my tea.

"I ran away. Like a coward, I ran away," I said bitterly, feeling the sour acid of those words fill my mouth. "I couldn't take it any more. All the lies and the hypocrisy. You know, I wasn't really doing anything any more, they were just kind of using my face. 'The people relate to you, Relena. You are the Dove of Peace.'" I shook my head. "I couldn't handle it anymore. I was so tired. Tired of making decisions, tired of moving from here to there, tired of smiling like nothing was wrong. Tired of having to get used to a different hotel mattress every other day. So I left. I ran away like the selfish, coward I am."

A tear narrowly missed the contents of my half empty mug and rolled down the porcelain side. Heero leaned forward then, looking at me with a softness I had only seen once before in his eyes. He had the same gentle, kind look as he had that day, right before he had gone off to risk his life destroying the remnants of the great ship Libra. I stared into those entrancing, deep blue depths, hypnotized, tears caught on my lashes. He gave a small, comforting smile.

"You are anything but a coward, Relena," he said and I knew he meant it. Heero never said anything unless he really meant it. "You're braver than anyone I know. And even though you don't realize it, you've done exactly what you needed to do for the good of the people once again. How can you lead anyone else when you don't know what it is you want? They're right Relena, you are the Dove of Peace, the icon that kept soldiers like me dedicated in a time of war. An almost unreachable ideal made more tangible with your very existence.

"But we're not in a time of war anymore, Relena. Those roles we played are over. You and I, just like all the others from that past, are done with our parts in this play. We reached the future already and now it is time for the next generation to take over, to lead with their own icons and their own ideals. You and I are the remnants of another time. And you know that the past can't lead the future. You're not a coward, Relena. Believe me."

I stared at him, awed. Finally, after all the bloodshed and war, Heero was whole. That pent up emotion and kindness inside him was allowed free. Many people said that Heero had changed. I don't agree. I don't think Heero ever changed. I think Heero was just himself now.

I smiled appreciatively at him and took another sip of my quickly coolly tea. His mug was still untouched.

"So, was Duo really that scared of me?" I asked.

A smile tugged at the ends of his lips. "Duo's a good friend to both of us. I think he just didn't know what to say. Congratulations. First time in history a person has accomplished that task."

I gave a small laugh. "I'm sorry I got in the way of your outing."

"Believe me, it's not a problem. Actually, we were going to go pick up our tux rentals. Quatre is having a gala party tonight in honor of our repair shop having opened a few weeks ago. Would you like to come?"

I floundered for a second. "Well, I wouldn't want to just waltz into a private event without Quatre's permission."

"I know that he wouldn't mind at all. In fact, I'm positive that he would very much like to see you," Heero replied earnestly. "The only problem would be finding a gown by tonight. I don't know if that's too soon."

"I think I can pull it off," I said with a smile. "Thank you so much, Heero. For everything."

He smiled and stood. "Come on. We can meet up with Duo and Hilde. I'm sure she'll help you find a dress."

I realized after a few moments that I had met Hilde before. She smiled at me kindly, at ease now that she knew that her friend was at ease as well. I had seen her once before on Libra. She had been breaking in to the computer, had seen me, talked to me for a few mere seconds. She had told me that she was trying to help the Gundam pilots, then, seeing my look, asked if I'd known one of them, asked if I'd wanted to go with her to see him. She was a kind woman, a sweet soul and this was proved in the power of her smile.

Duo was all smiles now that things had been, as he put it, "patched up." He was yammering on and on about how great it that I dropped by on the day of the gala. Duo was the same as ever. He was just as upbeat and cheerful as he was during the actual war. It seemed that nothing ever fazed Duo.

He was bouncing around, but I noticed that he always hovered close to Hilde and after a while, it dawned on me that they were dating. This was made evident when he slipped his hand into hers and pulled her protectively close. She looked up at him with a look in her eyes that screamed unmistakable admiration. This must have been the Gundam pilot she had risked her life for all those years ago. It made sense to me.

Heero managed to pry Duo away from Hilde to go pick up their tuxes. Hilde then easily slipped into conversation with me and led me towards a store that sold elegant gowns.

"So," she said, running her fingers over the silk fabric of one of the dress. "You like any color in particular?"

I shrugged a little and scanned through the dresses on display. "I'm not too enthusiastic about anything to gaudy."

Hilde nodded. "Did you fly in today? You must be exhausted. You should rest."

"I'm fine. Flying's become second nature to me. Are you sure that Quatre would be all right with someone just inviting themselves to his gala?"

"You didn't invite yourself, Heero invited you. Being that he is one of the founding members of GP Repairs, which is the whole reason behind the gala, I think he has the right to invite whoever he wants. Where are you staying?"

I paused. "I'm not sure yet."

"You're free to stay with us."

"Oh, no! I couldn't. Really, thank you, but I can't."

"Anyway, the offer stands."

There was silence for a little while, nothing but the soft sighs of fabric as we brushed past them slowly.

"You don't have to be so nervous, you know," she said.

The remark, though spoken softly, gently, surprised me. I opened my mouth to respond, but no sound came out.

"I think that you know Heero well enough to know that if he didn't want you here, you wouldn't be here."

I gave a small laugh. "Not really. I've made it a habit to show up and stay, especially when he doesn't want me."

Hilde looked at me and there was something unreadable in her eyes. "I don't think that's the case."

The way she said it implied something bigger. Something along the lines of it never having been the case. I was blown away with the insight of the brunette. But then she smiled casually and turned. She reached into one of the racks of dresses and pulled out a gorgeous number.

"Here," she said simply.

I took it, looking it over for a moment. Then I smiled at her. She'd picked the perfect dress, the only dress.

Yes, the girl had insight beyond belief.

"Come on! What could possibly be taking so long?"

Hilde sighed and rolled her eyes. "Stop whining Duo!"

We heard a whimper and some pacing steps outside in the hallway. "Hurry up…"

"If you don't shut up, you're not going to like what'll happen!"

"What'll happen?" There was a thick, flirtatiously playful tone in his voice.

"Whatever you're thinking," Hilde said and there was a snicker, "the exact opposite."

There was sudden silence and Hilde shook her head. She finished the last stitch on the strap of my dress. She smiled up at me.

"Done," she said and admired her handiwork.

I looked myself over in the mirror. "Thank you. It's perfect."

"No problem, don't worry about it."

From outside we heard an impatient scuffling sound. Duo may have stopped speaking, but he was making his point increasingly clear. I glanced at myself in the mirror again.

The dress Hilde had found me was really gorgeous. It was a delicious cream color and the satin shimmered and rippled in the light. It was a straight cut with rouched straps that crossed in the back. The back of the dress it's self was semi-low, just under my shoulder blades.

Hilde was wearing a beautiful satin dress as well. It was a stunning shade of red that complimented her black hair accordingly. The straps crisscrossed in the front, creating a little diamond shaped hole at her chest, and continued the pattern around to the backside. The straps continued all the way down the backless dress, stopping at the hem at her tail bone. She sighed and fixed her hair, then smoothed the dress down anxiously.

"God, I'm so not a gala dress kind of girl," she said and I could tell that she was nervous by her voice.

"You look amazing," I said, not lying at all. "Duo will love it."

She met my gaze and slow smile spread. "You think so?" I nodded and she took in a deep breath. "Okay. Let's go."

She pulled open the door, her heels clicking elegantly on the floor. I walked behind her, my stomach doing summersaults.

"Wow," Duo gasped, looking over Hilde. He idly licked his lips, looking very much like a little boy looking at something that he knew he wasn't supposed to touch, but he desperately wanted to. "Hilde, you look…"

Hilde smiled and blushed. I thought how sweet it was to myself. They had been dating long enough to have gotten over that overly physical stage in the beginning of a relationship, but here they were, acting like little kids with a fresh crush.

I lowered my eyes to the ground. This was too surreal. What the hell was I doing here?

I hadn't heard him move, but he was standing in front of me when I looked up. Heero was never one to be afraid caught staring, but the stares had always been different. This one was softer, he blinked rapidly for a moment, took in the length of my dress, his lips parted. He gave a miniscule shake of his head, snapping out of it and he stepped forward.

He looked incredibly handsome in his tuxedo, lean and suave, like an old-time movie star. I got a whiff of him, a scent that had lingered in the back of my mind since the last time I had seen him all those years ago. He produced a red rose from seemingly nowhere. I held my breath as his fingers slid across my temple and he fixed the rose in my hair. He moved back to look at it, satisfied. He gave a smile.

"You look beautiful, Relena," he said softly so that only I heard.

Warmth rushed through me.

Perhaps I didn't exactly know why I was here, but it seemed to matter a lot less.

The dance was swarming with people dressed to the tee. Quatre's firm had rented a gorgeous reception hall and had elegantly decorated it in a simple ivory and champagne theme. I had walked into many such functions before, but this had to be the most nerve-wracking one. These were delegates and senators that laced you with lies hoping to fall into some good gossip. No, these were business men and women who knew how to charm the clothes from your backs. They focused on the things that interested them, and if you didn't manage to capture that in a certain amount of time, they wouldn't bother with you any more.

Heero looked at me as we walked into the lobby. He offered his arm like a gentleman and I took it. An odd sensation ran up my arm as my skin brushed the sleeve of his coat sleeve. We walked into the crowded hall.

"Hey, Quatre!" Duo called, excitedly.

Quatre, who had been talking to a couple of men, turned to look at his friend coming through the door. The men drifted away, disinterested already.

"Duo," Quatre responded with a smile, warmly shaking his friend's hand. "You clean up pretty nice."

Duo beamed and struck a pose. I felt Heero contain a smile beside me.

"Why thank you," Duo said proudly.

"And Hilde," he held her at arms length and turned her around. He smiled. "You look absolutely gorgeous." He kissed her cheek and she laughed.

Quatre turned to greet Heero. "Heero, you look-" his sentence petered and died as he did a double take in my direction. His hands fell away from Heero's shoulders as he turned to face me. "Relena?"

I gave a perfectly practiced smile. "Quatre, I'm sorry to have intruded on-"

"Shut up Relena," Quatre said with a smile and leaned forward pulling me into a hug. "It's great to see you. You look stunning, ravishing… amazing."

"Thank you," I laughed. "For… well, for everything."

"Please," Quatre said, waving my thanks away. "Enjoy yourself."

"The place is gorgeous," Hilde said, looking around. "Who did it? Or who planned it or whatever."

"Who do you think has this much class?" Duo asked as if the answer was obvious and Hilde nodded her consent.

"Ah," Quatre said, raising a hand at someone in the crowd behind me. He smiled and met my gaze. "Relena, I believe you've met the vice president of the Winner Corporation."

I started to respond when the person in question glided up to stand beside Quatre. I stared, alarmed.

"Dorothy Catalonia?" I said.

Dorothy was dressed in a flattering sea-foam green gown that rippled at her feet. It had one strap cutting across her chest, toga-style that looked as if it had been twisted and cinched. She had a regal and elegant beauty to her, but her features were pulled into a surprised stare.

"Miss Relena?" she responded, just as shocked.

"Dorothy is working with me now. She's the person to thank for all the gorgeous designs you see around the place. She's very keen to detail," Quatre said.

I shook Dorothy's hand. "It's good to see you so well."

"Likewise," Dorothy said.

"You did a great job, Dorothy," Hilde complimented.

"Thank you," Dorothy replied. "The hardest part was getting those overly traditional 'designers' to do what I wanted them to do."

"Figures," Duo said.

"Yes, well, Dorothy knows how to get the job done," Quatre said.

He was looking at me, but then his eyes slid past me towards the door. A small, telling smile tugged at the corners of his lips and he looked over someone just coming in. I casually looked back as if taking in the decorations. Trowa Barton was just coming in. On his arm was a very pretty woman with auburn curls and mesmerizing gray eyes. She had on an emerald green dress that I truly believed she was the only person in the world who could possibly pull it off. It was strapless with rouching on the tight bodice and it was a mermaid cut so that the bottom billowed out gracefully.

As I was turning back, Heero caught my eye and minutely raised his brow knowingly. I hid a smile. Quatre was immersed in the conversation again. A few moments later, Trowa and his companion joined us. I was introduced to the woman in question. Her name was Catherine Bloom… Trowa's sister. The look made a little more sense to me now.

"What's this? We weren't invited to the little pow-wow?" came a familiar voice.

I turned and was faced with the impressive figure of Sally Po. Sally was sophisticatedly dress in a black gown. It sloped off the shoulder and was form-fitting. It had two high slits on either side that came up to just above her knees. She had her arm draped through Wufei's. Wufei himself was gazing down at me.

"Relena Peacecraft," he greeted, taking my hand in his. "A pleasure."

"The pleasure is all mine," I responded.

"Relena," Sally said warmly and wrapped me up into a hug so tight, I couldn't help but smile.

"It's good to see you again, Sally," I murmured into her hair.

She gave me a little squeeze that meant "talk to me later about it."

Dinner was served shortly afterwards. It was a beautiful four course affairs, elegantly presented and expertly cooked. I found that I was able to sit back and let my troubles melt away from me. After dessert, we all lingered at the table, talking while the band began playing. Duo was telling some elaborate story, the others all laughing. I looked around the hall, taking in a deep, satisfied breath. The band was formally dressed, concentrating on their instruments. The dance floor was already swarming with people.

"Well, seeing as I am the host of this, I think I'd better set some kind of example and join the dance," Quatre said. He looked at me. "Relena, will you do me the honor?"

I smiled. "Of course."

Quatre was a professional on the dance floor. He swung me expertly around the floor, showing me off.

"Tell me, do you have a place to stay yet?" he asked me.

"No, not yet," I said, remembering the fact with distaste.

"Well, if you don't mind, I've already reserved a room under your name at one of our business hotels. I hope the accommodations suit you, you just need to pick up your key."

I was stunned into silence for a moment, before smiling appreciatively. "Thank you, Quatre. You've gone above and beyond."

"Whatever makes you stay."

The dance ended and I sat again as, one by one, the others at the table drifted towards the dance floor.

"Relena?"

I turned towards the soft whisper. Heero held his hand out.

"May I?" he asked.

I nodded dumbly, taking his hand and letting him lead me to the dance floor. It had been many long years since he had held me like this. He was a surprisingly graceful dancer, taking the lead smoothly. He was not the calloused, experienced dancing genius that Quatre was, but he made me fell warm. I knew this feeling, one that I got every time he was near. The rest of the world was pushed into the background. He was looking straight at me. I wanted to say something, but it was hard. Just when I was about to open my mouth, his hand on my exposed back twitched slightly and he pulled me closer, pressing his cheek against mine and silencing me.

He'd known what I was about to say… even if I hadn't.

The room Quatre had gotten for me was overly expansive. He'd also paid for the first full week of my stay, which had made me angry. The night after the gala, I had been surprised by a knock on my hotel room door. Instead of the cleaning lady, it was Hilde. She had smiled and invited me to lunch at the apartment. Every day after that either she or Duo came to invite me to lunch. We ate, usually with Trowa. Sometimes Catherine would come as well. Sally and Wufei would pop in. Quatre stopped by a few times as well.

I had been there almost three weeks. I was waiting for Quatre to swing by and pick me up. We were heading to meet up with the others at Heero's apartment. The knock came at my door a little late. I stood and answered it. Duo grinned down at me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, surprised.

"What? No hello?" Duo mocked. "Come on, the others are all downstairs."

"Others? You all came?"

"Not really. The girls and Heero are at the apartment, waiting for us. The rest of us were at Quatre's house figuring something out for the repair shop."

"And Heero didn't go with you?"

"He was finishing up a big job that needs to be ready in the morning."

I nodded and we stepped out of the elevator. Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei were waiting for us. After and initial greeting, we headed out. The hotel was only about fifteen minutes away from the apartment, so we walked there. There wasn't much need for conversation, something I still wasn't that used to. In the world I had come from, conversation filled up most every space. Duo talked, but not as much as usual.

Again, I question why exactly I was here. How well did I know any of these people? In any normal situation, these were people whose calls I would screen. However, none of why we knew each others names and faces was normal. Strange things happen to those who know the Gundam pilots. These were the soldiers that had fought, risked their lives, for me. And how well did they know me? Did they care about me personally or what I represented? The latter, of course, because during the war, they had nothing about the real me to go on.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I need to use the restroom."

Quatre looked around and I suddenly realized that I had zoned out completely. We had just gotten to the area of our walk that cut straight through a pretty run down section of neighborhood. Not exactly the optimal place, but the truth was, I couldn't really hold it anymore, as ashamed to admit that as I was.

"Okay, here," Duo said, opening the door to a dirty looking bar. It was about the cleanest one on the block. "We'll wait for you out here."

I nodded a thanks. Duo had made the right choice. There was hardly anyone here at this time of day. Only a table-full of men smoking cigarettes. I went to the bathroom as quickly as I could, trying not to touch anything. I washed my hands, but the water and sink made me feel dirtier.

As I came out of the bathroom, I had to pass by the table of men. A disgusting-looking bunch of thugs. One, who I assumed was in charge, gave me a sick grin.

"Hey, there, sugar," he drawled out, plumes of smoke escaping his lips as he spoke.

I tore my gaze from them and tried to hurry past, but one of the others shifted in his chair and blocked my original exit. I would have to cut closer to the man who'd spoken to get out of there now.

"I said hello," he said, narrowing his eyes at me. "What? You think you're too good to answer me? Come on, sweet stuff, sit on down." He patted his laugh and a guttural laugh rippled through his friends.

I was staring terrified at them, so when the deep, foreign tone rang out from next to me, I jumped.

"Back off," Duo growled. It wasn't the voice that was foreign, just the harsh, steel tone he was using.

The first guy stood. I was now sandwiched between Duo and Disgusting Cigarette-Man. They glared at each other.

"What did you say?" Cig Guy asked in a threatening tone.

"Did I stutter, pal? I said back the hell off," Duo barked out, twice as menacingly.

The guy gave a sarcastic laugh and looked back at his men. "What are you going to do? Ten of us against four of you?"

I looked around when he said that and realized that the others were standing, half-hidden from sight behind Duo's now enormous frame. I never realized how big Duo was. I never realized how tough the others were as well. Trowa was looming and gigantic. He was dangerous, I realized. Wufei was angrily staring them down and Quatre was tensed and ready.

"I suggest," Cig Guy was saying, "that you take a number."

"You lay a hand on her and you'll pull make a mutilated stump," Duo said quickly. And with more foresight than I had, because Cig Guy reached out a hand and grabbed my arm roughly.

"You mean, like this?"

There was a pause, and then, faster than the eye could see, Duo reached forward and pried his hand off, twisting it painfully. Cig Guy's face contorted in pain. There was a sickening "CRACK!" as Duo swiftly broke two fingers. Cig Guy cried out desperately in pain.

"You asshole!" he yelled out, cradling his, as promised, "mutilated stump." "You're in for it now."

Suddenly everything erupted. Cig Guy's men jumped at Duo, knocking me onto the extremely dirty floor in the process, my arm scraping against the table. At the same time, the other three ex-Gundam's leapt forward to meet them. Punches were thrown, but it seemed like the only ones landing were the ones thrown by my friends.

And, as stupid as it was at the moment, I realized that they were doing this for me. It had to be, because there were no ideals at the present to represent other than an ill-timed bladder and a bad decision.

Trowa was untouchable. With an unnatural, cat-like grace, he dodged blow after blow. For every one thrown at him, he threw three of his own. Wufei was pinned by two guy behind a table and a mess of stool. It seemed the bartender was also part of Cig Guy's group because he was leaning over the bar, rooting the opposing team on. Wufei grabbed a stool, slammed it down hard on the table and smashing it to splinters. He took one of the short fragments, threw it hard at one of the guys rounding in on Duo and knocking him t the ground, then he took one of the broken legs of the stool and whacked both of his attackers across the side of the head. I watched as they crumpled to the floor. Duo was angrily fending off three guys. He rammed one straight into the wall, then picked himself off and kicked one guy in the stomach so hard, he simply fell over. Then he grabbed my arm, swung me out of the way of another guy who had a heavy chair in his hands. He went to slam it down on Duo's head, but Duo grabbed it from his hands and walloped him from the side. And Quatre, little, kind Quatre, was viciously twisting one guys arm almost out its socket. He used the guy in his arms as a projectile and threw him at one of the other men who was charging him. Finally, all of the thugs were groaning on the ground, the Gundam pilots hardly winded. The bartender was staring, scared and amazed.

"Look, just get out, okay?" he said in a trembling voice. "You've already ruined my place, just get out."

Quatre reached into his pocket and pulled a wad of cash from his wallet. The bartender eyed him suspiciously. He unrolled three one hundred dollar bills. As he spoke he let each one flutter to the floor.

"This is for the piss. This is for the stool. And this is for the mess," he said, eyeing the man coldly.

And without another word, the four boys started out of the bar. Duo gently took my arm and led me outside.

"You okay?" Wufei asked me, and I realized that he meant it.

I nodded, still trying to catch my breath. "Yes. Thank you very much. I'm sorry to have caused so much trouble."

Duo smiled at me comfortingly and ruffled my hair like he would a child. "Don't worry about it."

We got to the apartment shortly afterwards. The girls all said hello to me. Heero walked towards us, then stopped suddenly.

"What happened?" he asked, and I noticed he was looking at my arm. Like magic, three red scrapes were staring up at the world. They were nothing, but they gave the recent events away. He grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him, shielding me slightly with his body and glared at the others. The only two paying attention were Quatre and Duo.

"We had a little run in at a bar," Duo explained as if nothing. "No big deal."

"Why did you bring her to a bar?" Heero accused.

"She had to pee," Duo said matter-of-factly.

Heero was staring hard at him, and Quatre stepped in. "I think maybe Relena should get those looked at, don't you?"

Without another word, Heero, still holding my arm, led me to his bed room. He sat me on the bed and reached into the bottom drawer of his nightstand. He pulled out an efficient and overly stocked first aid bag. He began leaning the wounds in silence.

"What really happened?" he asked, not looking up.

I told him everything, not leaving out any detail because I knew that he wanted them all. He didn't interrupt, just worked in his expert silence, taking in all the facts. He finished by putting a bandage over the largest scrape and looking up, straight into my eyes.

"I owe them one," he said softly and I thought that I had to be dreaming, but he shook his head slightly. I drew a breath as his calloused hand slid over my overly smooth one. It was huge in comparison. "I mean it."

And then I knew that I had gone crazy because I could've sworn that his face was getting closer to mine. I opened my mouth to say something completely inappropriate and slightly delusional as usual, but he silenced me with a movement he didn't make, so I shut my mouth and swallowed hard.

This was real. Real and warm and…

Electric. A jolt of electricity ripped through me as his lips softly touched mine. My eye fluttered closed on their own accord. He pulled back only a centimeter and then he touched his mouth to mine again, a little more pressure behind it and lingered there. I suddenly knew what he was doing, why he was pausing. He was giving me a way out. But I didn't want a way out. I wanted a way in…

I nervously tested him, parting my lips under his and he followed suit. My tongue flicked into his mouth, tasting him the way I'd always wanted to. It was even better than I thought it would be and another volt of electricity washed over me.

After that first test, he took the lead, understanding what I was telling him. His grip shifted suddenly, brushing up my arm and cupping the back of my neck firmly as his tongue and mine danced. I clutched meekly at his shirt, following his lead just as I always had in the past.

His mouth fell away from mine abruptly as a soft knock came at the door. He looked back at the door. I myself was sitting on the bed, shaken and speechless.

"Heero? Relena?" Sally asked through the door. "You guys almost done? The movie is about to start."

"We're done, Sally," Heero replied, not even a hitch in his voice. He looked back at me. "Ready?"

I didn't attempt speaking. I just nodded, still flushed. I followed him to the door, getting a hold of myself. By the time we immersed ourselves in the crowd of the others, I had on an acceptable face. The movie was nerve-wracking and, to tell the truth, a blur. For all I knew it was about children who ate live puppies. All I could focus on was the fact that Heero's arm was so close to mine, I could feel the warmth coming off it, and that the smell he was emitting was intoxicatingly good, and that I still had his taste lingering in my mouth. We all came out of the movie theatre, blinking in the sudden light. Duo was raving about his favorite part and Wufei was scoffing at him. Sally was laughing at both of them, Hilde rolling her eyes and cursing her fact. And Heero just stood beside me, not looking over, not doing anything.

Had that kiss really happened? Was I going insane? Maybe I had just fantasized the whole thing. Perhaps my imagination was wilder than I thought. But if that was so, why did I still feel his lips pressed against mine? Maybe, maybe, maybe…

"So, where do you guys want to eat?" Duo asked.

And instant murmur went up and discussion groups formed. This place? No, I hated that place! Well, this place has a great salad bar. Salad bars blow. You blow. I would blow…

I couldn't take one more minute of this over-scrutinizing. My head was about to explode with "did I really" and "is it possible?"

"I think I'm just going to go home and go to sleep," I announced.

"Are you okay?" Quatre asked, concerned.

"I'm fine. Just… tired." I didn't add, of thinking, but I thought it.

"But it's only," Duo checked his watch, "ten-thirty."

I shrugged and gave a small smile, absently reaching into my purse for my hotel key card. My hand searched, not coming into contact with it. Okay, I knew I had put it in my wallet…

"Oh no!" I cried out, checking again frantically.

"What happened?" Trowa asked.

"My wallet… I left it at your apartment," I replied, a little frantic, nodding towards Duo and Hilde. "I took it out to show something to Sally and I left it on the table. It has my hotel key in it."

"I'll take you," Heero said.

I almost jumped at the sound of his voice. It was the first thing he'd said to me since… well, since the apartment. I left with him. We usually walked, but he hailed a cab this time. He opened the door for me and gave directions to the apartment. We sat in silence, him calm as usual, me trying not to shake visibly. He let me out of the cab and we rode up the elevator. He opened the door, let me through. I heard it click behind me. My eyes had just landed on my wallet, lying on the coffee table when he grabbed my wrist and wheeled me around suddenly.

Before I knew what was happening, his mouth was crushing mine, his tongue parting my lips. I couldn't do anything but follow along, not that there was anything I would've done anyway. My fingers tangled themselves in the thick, dark locks and he gripped my back tightly. He broke from my mouth the kiss at the hollow just under my jaw bone. I gave an involuntary gasp of utter bliss and his hand slid up through my hair to cup the back of my neck. The slight pressure of his fingers surprisingly erotic. He pulled back a fraction, looking me straight in the eyes and there was a question in the deep blue depths. I nodded, giving him my full consent and he accepted it. I slid my hand into his nervously. This is still felt too good to be true. I tugged slightly and he followed me down the hallway and into his room. I stopped and turned back to him, closing the gap and leaning up slowly.

His lips met mine again, but softly this time. He was gentle. I felt, rather than saw, him close the door behind himself with a minute click. I felt for the bottom of his t-shirt with my fingers and he let me peel it off. At the sight of the lean, washboard stomach, this dawned on me that this was real. He had a smattering of scars over the expanse of his torso, most old and faded. There was one, a few inches to the left of his heart, that was still lifted from the rest of the skin slightly and before I knew what I was doing I bent and kissed it gently. His skin was warm and tight, the muscles rippling just beneath it.

Heero lifted my head again and kissed me. I moved backwards with him. I lifted my arms as he tugged my blouse off. I subconsciously was glad I'd worn my black bra today. He moved to the snap of my pants next and they fell to the floor with a whisper. Then, cradling me carefully, he laid me back on the bed, still not breaking his lips from mine.

When my head was settled on the pillow, he trailed a line of fiery kisses down my throat, tasting and nipping along the way. His hand undid the clasp of my bra as I wriggled uncontrollably beneath him. My hand anxiously fumbled with the button fly of his jeans. He helped me pull them off and they were tossed carelessly to the side. He was still moving kisses further along my body and he started kissing my thigh, my shin, the top of my foot, he held the leg he had turned his attention to in one hand. With the other he magically whipped my underwear off. I noted how this didn't feel awkward, as it had in the past. The few and much regretted times I had done this with my one and only boyfriend before hand, it had felt wrong, embarrassing. But this…

My attention was turned elsewhere as the final garment was tossed aside and Heero slid over me again. He kissed me softly and again there was that innocent little question in his eyes.

Are you sure?

I pulled him closer and in the same moment he meshed with me. I threw my head back and groaned. He was slow, unbelievably gentle with me. I however had no control over the fact that my nails were gouging into his skin, that I was roughly gripping fistfuls of his hair. He just kissed me sweetly, his head hanging by my shoulder, his breathing coming hard. Finally, I erupted, clenching his shoulders tightly.

He sagged onto me, then rolled onto his side, pulling me close. He pried the covers out from under us and draped them over me. He was warm and the scent of his skin was in my nose. I sighed happily.

I woke up alone in the morning, wrapped up tightly. There was robe lying neatly across the chair in Heero's room. My clothes were gone. I lifted my head from the pillow, trying in vain to brush through my tangled hair with my fingers. I gave up and got out of the bed. I wrapped the robe around me, closing it tightly and stepped out into the hallway.

"-should definitely open one up," Duo was saying.

"Because two businesses aren't enough," Hilde responded sarcastically. "Now we need a deli?"

"Where exactly is this deli going to be set up, Duo? In our kitchen?" Heero stated and the sound of his voice made me smile.

I appeared in the kitchen doorway just as Duo was retorting.

"You guys have to imagination. All we need is-"

He stopped short as he spotted me, hair messed up and wearing Heero's robe. He swallowed hard, his eyes widening and his jaw dropping a little. Hilde, confused, turned to follow his gaze. She sat up straighter with a small, surprised, "Oh." Heero met my gaze and gave a small smile. I returned it, just as unnoticeable. Duo looked from me to him, but Heero was once again focused on spreading cream cheese on his bagel. He looked back at me with a grin.

"Well, good morning, Relena," Duo chirped.

"Hi," I breathed, giving a little wave.

"So, uh…" Hilde started. "So. Um, so… how did you, uh… how did you sleep?"

"Yes, Relena?" Duo crowed, happy with the inadvertent set up from his girlfriend. "How didyou sleep?"

I couldn't help but grin at his stupid tone. "Fine, thank you."

He just smirked all the wider.

Hilde was still trying to think of something polite and neutral to say. Then she shook her head. "Screw it. What the hell happened last night?"

"I think we know what happened last night," Duo drawled, resting his hands behind his head triumphantly.

"So," Hilde prompted, looking at Heero. I followed her gaze. "Are you guys finally… you know. Together?"

"Yeah, prove it! Kiss her!" Duo demanded, leaning towards his best friend.

Heero said nothing as he got up with his empty paper plate in hand. He walked to the garbage can beside me and threw the plate out. Then he suddenly wheeled around and kissed me. I smiled against his lips and kissed him back.

"Finally," Duo muttered from behind us.