Chapter 9

AN: Sorry for the long delay in finishing this. Writing is a now you feel it, now you don't event for me of late.

Heero woke, mind shrugging off sleep, body stretching on the mattress. Hunger hollowed his middle, but it was a more pressing physical need that had him sitting up. He glanced around the dark space. Faint grey light spilled through a crack in the curtains, casting the room in a colourless glow. Heero's hand brushed against his leg and he stopped part way to sitting up.

"Why am I dressed?" he muttered, shifting his jean clad legs over the side of the bed. Heero raked fingers through his hair, casting his mind back to the last thing he remembered.

His memories were a jumble of vague recollections and odd sensations. "Sally," he growled. The last clear memory he could grasp was of going to her office. To get her to sign off on that stupid document putting him back on active duty.

Heero hauled his shirt up, left hand following the lines of the bandage. She had definitely taken care of it. He pressed his palm against the centre of the clean dressing, feeling not so much as a twinge from the wound underneath. Heero twisted towards his right side, eyes searching out the bedside clock. He stared at the numbers for a long moment. They displayed the unbelievable time of 1:26 A.M.

He scrubbed both hands down his face. "What the hell did she give me?" He propped elbows on knees, his shoulders sagging. The grittiness of his eyes, and the yawn he was fighting, both said he could just fall back to sleep sitting right here. Only the call of nature and an empty stomach kept it at bay. Heero heaved himself to his feet, and padded out of the room.

Head down, eyes barely open he made a beeline for the bathroom to relieve his first pressing need. Heero breathed a sigh of relief which turned into a massive yawn as he stepped back out into the hall. Pulling a hand down his face, Heero turned, and stopped.

An unfamiliar shadow formed a darker lump on what should have been an empty couch. Heero stepped into the living room, no alarm bells sounding in his head. Even in the varied shadows of his dark apartment, Heero recognized Relena's sleeping form.

'Still here…' His heart clenched harder for a few beats. Heero came around the edge of the couch, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Relena slouched on the end of the couch, her neck bent at an odd angle over the armrest. 'Why didn't you lay down?' Heero reached down, drawing hair away from her face. She didn't react to his touch, somehow fast asleep despite the awful position.

"Hn," he grunted, and bent down to gather her into his arms. Relena's head fell against his neck, her breaths tickling his flesh as he stood back up. Her body stretched in his arms, muscles quivering minutely before she melted back against him, not waking.

Heart pounding more aggressively than it should for the minimal effort of carrying Relena, Heero walked back down the hall to his room. His side twinged as he bent to place Relena on the near side of his bed. He took a moment to properly support her head on the pillow, before drawing a blanket over her.

Heero paused for a moment leaning over Relena, propping himself on his right fist. In the grey shadow cast room she looked peaceful. Her lips parted, a contented breath escaping her. Heero's heart thudded aggressively. She looked like she belonged here. Blood rushed through Heero, pooling in his stomach, leaving his head light.

He edged down towards her, a fire burning deep in his belly. Heero pressed his knee into the side of the mattress to steady himself. He was mere inches from her lips, when his stomach emitted a loud rumble of protest.

With great reluctance, Heero forced himself upright. His head rushed, vision fading for a heartbeat, before clearing on Relena's sleeping face. He released a breath, fighting the urge to forget everything else and just climb into bed beside her. But his stomach growled hollowly again, refusing to be ignored.

Heero huffed a sigh, and turned. A quick protein shake was all he needed.

Heero drew a slow breath. His brain shifted from sleep to partially awake, and was met with a deep sense of contentment. Drifting in the comfortable blackness, Heero remembered what had brought him here. An improvement on the last time he'd woken up.

Senses reconnecting with extremities, Heero's left hand flexed against something soft and warm. He smiled, pressing closer to the warmth of the woman who lay on the bed next to him.

"Heero Yuy!" Relena's indignant gasp cut across the haze of his dozing mind.

He yawned, body stretching languidly on the bed. "Hm?" he cracked open one eye allowing faint light to filter through his lashes.

Relena sat up on the bed. "What? Why? How did I?" she demanded, and Heero opened his eyes wider looking up at her flushed, wild eyed features. "You did this!"

Heero lifted his left arm off of Relena's waist, drawing himself up on his other elbow. With mussed hair and rumpled clothes, she'd never looked more attractive. He smirked. She was in his bed, expression flustered with a deep and inviting blush.

Relena was looking down at herself and then to him. "You picked me up and carried me from the sofa?" She pulled both hands down her face, a second before her head jerked up. "With your wound and-and!"

"And?" Heero rumbled, pushing himself up a little more on his elbow. As much as he was enjoying this moment, there were better things to be doing.

Relena shifted next to him, tossing back the blankets. "What if you wrecked your stitches?!" she demanded taking up the hem of his shirt.

Heero shrugged his left shoulder, watching amused as she fussed at his side. He appreciated the zings of electricity that sparked through his body from her touch. "You'd have to stay longer?" He was no longer shocked by the want for her.

"Gah!" Relena squawked, pulling her hands away from the clean white bandage covering his side. "You're! Completely, utterly incomprehensibly!" Heero arched an eyebrow and reached across Relena for her right hand. Closing calloused fingers around her wrist, Heero drew her hand to his forehead, pressing her palm squarely there.

"Unbelievable," Relena finished her thought, and stopped, looking at him strangely. "What? What are you—"

"Fever's gone," he told her, enjoying the feel of her skin against his.

Relena's lips parted, her fingers flexing against his forehead. "Yes? You feel normal," she said, eyes widening before she quickly added, "Temperature-wise only."

Heero glanced behind him to the bedside clock as he pushed himself up to sit fully beside her. "And it's been almost 24 hours since I was given the sedative," he met Relena's eyes with burning determination.

"Close," she countered, "It's been 20 hours."

He leaned a little closer. "I metabolise faster than most." He reminded her, voice low, husky.

Relena pulled in a stuttering breath, the blush to her cheeks having faded from crimson to pale rose. "Y-yes, yes," she said, rolling her eyes.

"So," Heero said expectantly, and leaned further into Relena's personal space.

She blinked at him. "W-why do you look so pleased with yourself?"

The day before may still have been mostly a blur to Heero's recollection, but he didn't need to remember that, to know what he wanted in this moment now. Heero tipped his head, and closed the distance to Relena's soft lips.

His mouth fit perfectly over hers. Relena's tiny gasp of surprise against his lips excited Heero, sending his pulse racing. Warmth and pleasure cascaded through him as he wrapped his arms around her. He wanted to crush her to himself, to never let go.

Heero brushed his tongue past Relena's lips, and she shivered in his arms. Their hot breaths puffed and mingled in the tiny spaces between them. At last, with great reluctance, Heero pulled back, opening his eyes to stare into Relena's stunned face.

"There," he said, voice rough and breathless. "No excuses," Heero brushed hair back behind Relena's ear. "Now, lay down. I was comfortable."

Relena's eyes fluttered open, vision focusing on a room that was familiar but not her own. Her heart fluttered like a caged bird in her chest. Heat pooled in her stomach, fuelled by excited memories that ignited every nerve in her body. Relena blew out a breath, in a vain attempt to calm herself.

The deep breaths puffing softly against the back of her neck, only added fuel to the fire inside her. 'Heero…' she glanced through the corner of her eye, before carefully shifting her head on the pillow. He was a secure presence at her back. His body pressed closely to hers, left arm draped over her side, a loose fist resting on the mattress in front of her.

'How did we get here?' Heat splashed through Relena, and she shut her eyes drawing one slow even breath after another. It was no mystery how she'd ended up in Heero's bed. Her shock and confusions on waking there before notwithstanding. 'But how did everything change so much?'

Relena opened her eyes again, looking down her body to Heero's arm which held her close to his chest. She bit her lip, heart thudding aggressively against her ribs. Relena twisted her chin towards her shoulder, straining her eyes to see Heero's face.

His head rested on the pillow next to her. Dark hair spilled across his forehead and eyes, Relena's fingers twitched on the bed with the need to set it right. His mouth—Relena sucked in a sharp breath—those lips. She could still feel their urgency, that demanding need with which they'd pressed against hers. She blew out a shaky sigh.

Relena licked dry lips, the skin sending a jolt through her. "Heero…" she whispered his name. She didn't want to wake him, not just yet. 'What's gotten into him?' Relena had never seen quite the same glow of determination in those dark blue eyes, and that smirk!

She pressed icy fingers against the heated skin of her cheek, but they did nothing to cool the memory of Heero. He'd looked so different laying there in the bed next to her. He had appeared for all the world like this was perfectly normal to him.

Heero didn't move a muscle at the sound of his name, and Relena decided to risk getting up. 'I need…' she twisted her head against the pillow, drawing her legs to the edge of the bed. 'First the fever. Then the sedative…' Relena held her breath as she shifted away from Heero's body and out from under his warm arm.

'You wanted this.' She hesitated on the edge of the mattress, chewing at her lower lip while looking down at Heero. 'How much of this is just a result of him being sick, and Sally?' Relena blew out a breath and got to her feet.

"Ugh…" she groaned, giving her head a small shake. "I need caffeine." Relena tore her eyes off Heero, and turned to leave the room.

She yawned, padding down the hall, bare feet making a strange sound. There was a soft echo in Heero's apartment. She'd noticed it that first night, after the shock of finding him wore off. Relena glanced at the empty walls. 'Nothing says he lives here.'

Sunlight spilled into the main room of Heero's flat, the golden glow actually warmed what was otherwise a cold, stark place. Relena pulled a hand through her hair, wincing when her fingers immediately found tangles. Her eyes paused on her purse sitting on the couch. "Coffee first," she mumbled softly, heading for the kitchen.

It hadn't taken Relena long to learn the layout of Heero's small poorly stocked kitchen. Canned goods and packages of protein powder dominated his 'supplies.' He had the standard cooking implements, though what he used them for, Relena had no idea.

She'd been grateful he actually had the fixings for coffee. Although she'd had to toss the container of grounds he'd had in the cupboard as it was definitely stale by her standards. His only owning one mug—that she could find—had blown her mind.

With the coffee brewing, Relena stepped over to the couch and fished a brush from her purse. "Should have braided my hair," she grumbled, fighting against the fine knots that sleep had applied to her hair.

Relena gathered the now smoothed strands together, a shiver racing through her when her fingers brushed the soft skin behind her ears. Her mind was all too eager to remember the touch of Heero's fingers there. She bit her lower lip, and glanced towards the hall.

"Maybe I should wake him…" There was so much she wanted to ask Heero. So many doubts, swirling. 'It could be, just like Sally said… he let his guard down.' Relena took a half step around the sofa. 'No.' She pulled herself up, 'If you want to be absolutely sure, let him sleep.'

A hollow grumble from her stomach brought Relena around to the kitchen with a sigh. She opened the fridge and began pulling supplies from the shelves. The coffee maker beeped its completion on the counter next to the refrigerator.

Relena put aside the carton of eggs and bacon, to pull open the cupboard that held Heero's lone coffee mug. She savoured her first fortifying sip of the hot bitter liquid before going in search of a frying pan.

In minutes Relena had bacon sizzling quietly on the front element of the stove. It permeated the air with its savoury aroma, while she whisked a bowl of eggs readying it for scrambling. Relena had just poured the creamy contents into the second pan, when a throat cleared behind her.

She turned to see Heero standing at the end of the hall leaning against the corner of the wall. His hair mussed from sleep, was not far removed from how it normally sat, falling across his intense features. Heero's shirt was rumpled, and he'd obviously changed out of his jeans sometime in the night as he was now wearing loose fitting pants that pooled on top of his feet.

"You look at home here," he said, in a voice that rumbled sexily to Relena's ears.

She blinked at him, sincerely hoping that wasn't a reference to her being in the kitchen. "E-excuse me?"

Heero pushed off the wall and took a step towards the kitchen. "In my apartment," he shrugged and looked away.

Her stomach fluttered, warmth surging in her. "W-well it's high time someone did," she said, teasingly and turned back to the stove and the eggs. "I mean it's obvious you've never purposefully had company over."

"What gives it away?" Heero asked near her left ear.

Relena jumped. The spatula she was using to scramble the eggs hit sharply against the side of the frying pan. She gathered herself, and turned to see Heero standing very close. Somehow Relena remembered how to breathe, and reached for the coffee mug. "For starters, you only have one of these," she said, bringing the coffee between them.

Heero's hand took the body of the mug, and quickly brought it to his lips. "I don't mind sharing."

He was practically smouldering with the look he gave her.

She forced herself to look back at the stove, though her heart had leapt into her throat. A heated thrill raced down her spine, and she risked a quick glance at Heero's face. "You don't mind sharing?"

That boyish smirk pulled at Heero's lips, as he pulled the coffee cup away from his mouth. "Nope," he assured her.

Relena licked her lips, steadying herself on the edge of the counter. "Anything else you wouldn't mind sharing - besides your coffee mug?" she pressed, hope floating through her middle.

Heero's mouth opened, but he stopped short of speaking. One eyebrow raised on his forehead, and his gaze suddenly drew fire into Relena's cheeks when his eyes swept over her. "Did you have something in mind?" he asked, his normally smooth voice carrying a huskier note to it.

"Did I have something in—?!" Relena gasped. She jerked back from Heero, elbow bumping into the handle of the first pan on the stove. Relena turned her back on Heero in a vain attempt to gather herself. 'How can he not get it?' Licking dry lips, Relena switched off the elements and spun back around.

She closed the small distance between them, her movements causing Heero to take a step back into the kitchen island. "You kissed me. Multiple times," she reminded. "Granted, you were feverish, could have been hallucinating. Then you were drugged."

"I could pretend that you're just…." she hesitated, searching Heero's somewhat stunned face. "Starved for affection," her stomach clenched, not wanting to believe that's all this was, "and needed something while you were sick and injured. But then this-this morning!"

Heero swallowed hard, lips parting.

"This morning you went out of your way to show me you're not any of those things," Relena continued, her hands coming to grip the back of her neck. "And then kissed me again. And! And—"

"And?" Heero pressed.

She threw her arms wide, "AND! Snuggled. Or cuddled or whatever you want to call it!"

Heero's shoulder's lifted in a shrug, his expression appearing bemused. "Shared body heat?" he suggested.

Relena took a step back. "S-seriously? That's all it was to you?" she demanded, arms wrapping around herself to ward off a sudden chill.

"I was comfortable," Heero said.

She gaped at him. 'How can he be so…dense?!' Relena shook her head in disbelief, and took another step back from Heero.

A calloused hand took her arm just as she'd started to turn away. "Of course that's not all it was," Heero's smooth voice assured. "But you're all riled up. That's not what I intended either."

Relena pressed her lips tightly together before forcing herself to look directly into Heero's perplexed face. "You're feeling better, and I'm under no legal obligation to remain here," she forced the words past lips that were stiff and resistant to what needed to be said.

Heero's eyes widened, his grip on her arm tightening. "Unless…" she breathed, "there's some other reason. I should stay."

Heero struggled to catch his breath. Heart racing as he stared down at Relena's flushed face. She gazed up at him, expression burning with…affection? Unsure what to call it, Heero couldn't mistake the dreamy smile playing on her puffy red lips.

Perspiration glistened on her flesh, chest rising and falling in equal measure to his. His calloused hands held her more delicate fingers to the pillow behind her head, and Heero leaned down one more time to taste those lips.

"Does that answer your question?" he rumbled next to her ear. Heero shifted to his right side on the bed, immediately gathering Relena into his arms.

She snuggled into the space below his chin, one hand pressed to his chest, above his still pounding heart, the other gripping the flesh just above his hip. Heero savoured the warmth of holding Relena, the fire she stirred inside of him having sealed the once gaping void. He drew a breath, body melting around her, relaxing fully in a way he'd never experienced before.

"Heero," she whispered his name, turning in his arms to press her ear against his chest.

"Hm?"

Relena trembled in his arms, breath dancing across his hypersensitive skin. "W-why… now?" her voice was small but reached his ears with ringing clarity. "I know you're feeling better…" she continued.

"Hn," Heero nodded his chin gently against the top of Relena's head.

"You said…" she hesitated, shifting restlessly in his arms.

Heero spread his hands against her back encouraging her closer, and peeked down at her through his lashes. The hand on his flank, drew up his abdomen to his chest, and Relena planted her palm against him, pushing back enough that she could look up at his face.

Eyes that glimmered hotly, met Heero's. "You said, you've wanted to kiss me many times. I… I just need to know, why now?"

He searched her face, the lines and subtle shifts of her expressions, so open and vulnerable where she lay naked in his arms. Heero's eyes opened a little wider. "You still think—"

Relena pushed back in his arms, propping herself up on one elbow so she was looking down at him. "I-I don't know what to think," she bit her lip, and looked away. "I know what I want, what I've always wanted, but… I never expected it would happen like this…"

Heero lifted his left hand from Relena's waist and cupped the side of her face. "Relena," he said her name firmly and waited until her eyes met his. "I'm a soldier…"

"Were," she corrected. Her right hand sent a shiver down his spine when she tucked a little of his hair back behind his ear.

Heero shrugged his left shoulder, eyes never wavering from her face even as he searched for the words he needed. "I've… never let myself stop long enough."

Relena glanced away, eyes shining in the pale light. Heero shifted his hand to cup the back of her head, drawing her focus back. He opened his mouth, but the words weren't there. In their place a fire raged. The flames fed by an overwhelming desire, a desperate need.

Those flames had been there for so long smouldering in the deepest parts of him. Sometimes barely felt through the focus of his training, other times…

Heero brushed his mouth against Relena's lower lip. The touch of her skin was electric. He pressed her back against the sheets, sealing her mouth with his. She welcomed the kiss, opened to him, pulled him to her with fingers that dug at his skin.

"Heero…" Relena whispered his name breathlessly.

He stroked his thumb beneath her eye, drawing a small smile onto her lips. "It didn't occur to me before…"

Relena's eyebrows pulled together. "This? Us?"

"Not what I meant," Heero said, running his fingers through Relena's hair to the back of her neck. "I figured you felt the same."

She nodded, catching her lower lip with a tooth. "I hoped there would come a time."

"Right—"

"When you realised you cared for me," Relena continued, her voice thick as she looked into his eyes. "Like this."

She trailed a nail lightly down the back of his neck, looking at him through her dark lashes. "I just couldn't find a way through your defences on my own."