An Interlude

Brief Touches

by Scarlet Eve

I will survive!

Relena stood on the dock, watching through the large window as Heero's gundam issued forth the final blast, incinerating the piece of Libra that was hurtling towards Earth. Relena released the breath she'd been holding, slowly allowing her shoulders to relax, knowing that all those living on Earth would be safe. She clutched her hand to her chest, her eyes fixated on the spot where the block had been. The empty vacuum of space pulled apart the debris as it flew through the zero gravity in all directions. And out of the flash of light, Heero's gundam flew back towards the other waiting gundams. Seeing his gundam gave Relena a greater feeling of relief, something she felt slightly guilty about.

The crew around her cheered, and Noine placed a comforting hand on Relena's shoulder. Relena glanced up at the woman, a small smile on her face. They both knew that Heero had saved them all.

One of the crew members lifted a hand to his headset, pressing the earpiece closer to his ear in order to hear the choppy message. After a moment, he lowered his hand and turned towards Colonel Une. "Colonel," he called, and Une turned. She took a few steps towards the man and leaned down. Relena watched as he spoke something to her, quietly in her ear. Une's face fell upon hearing whatever he had to say. Slowly, Une rose up, squaring her shoulders and walked back towards Relena and Noine. The expression on her face was grave, and Relena felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. The older woman looked sadly at Relena and Noine.

"The rescue crews have been unable to locate any sign of Zechs or Epyon. It's possible he's..."

"Don't!" Noine cried out suddenly, turning her face away. Relena glanced up at her, feeling her heart go out to her, knowing the extent of her love for Relena's formerly estranged brother. Relena's own throat tightened in response to the news, but she didn't cry. She forced back the desire to cry. Something deep inside her told her that her brother was not dead. Perhaps, if she had time, she could ask Heero what he knew. He was the last one to fight him, after all...

Relena turned away as Une continued to look sadly at Noine. From the large windows, she could see the gundams returning to MO-II. As much as she desperately wanted to see Heero, she reigned in the desire and left the control room, looking for a place to be alone.

She half walked, half floated along the hallway, her hand trailing lightly along the cold, metal wall panelings. When her shoes touched the ground, they made a soft tap, until she pressed off again to float through the limited gravity. Eventually, she found a window with a large enough place for her to sit. She hoisted herself up easily to perch on the edge of the sill. The cool metal pressed against the back of her legs where her skirt ended. She leaned back against the glass and closed her eyes, fighting to control her speeding heart and her shaking hands.

Earth was safe. Her brother was missing. Heero had survived. Relena had survived. She vaguely wondered if what Heero had said was true: that if she survived the battle, then peace would finally be realized. Having failed at stopping her brother from leading the White Fang into that pointless battle, she was feeling quite unsure about her own abilities at that moment.

Relena took a deep breath and let it out slowly, letting it cleanse her anxiety. Nearby, she could hear chaotic, mechanical noises. She wondered if that was the gundam pilots arriving back at the resource satellite. A few minutes later, she heard footsteps coming down the hall, and getting louder. Relena opened her eyes and saw that boy, Duo Maxwell, walking towards her. He'd unzipped the upper half of his spacesuit, showing the brown t-shirt he was wearing underneath. His long braid floated out behind him as he walked.

"Princess!" he called by way of greeting. Relena mustered a smile for him as he grew nearer. His violet eyes sparkled, and he wore a large smile, one that seemed, almost knowing, if Relena had to hazard a guess. Duo stopped in front of her spot on the window sill.

"Hello," Relena said. She opened her mouth to say something more, but she was at a loss for words. Duo winked at her, taking her by surprise. He patted her hands, which had been clasped together tightly in her lap.

"Don't worry about trying to say anything. I was just on my way to check up on Hilde. Heero should be arriving back here any minute now," he said. Relena stared at him in wonder, and he grinned. Duo casually leaned back and scratched the back of his head, one hand planting itself on his hip. "I'm sure he'd like to know that you're safe."

Relena absently reached up and toyed with a strand of hair. "I don't think-" she started to say, but Duo began to walk away.

"Don't let his glares fool you, Princess!" he called over his shoulder before his disappeared through a door. Relena stared after him, feeling confused. After mulling his words over, she shrugged and leaned back once again. Her ever active mind was following along a mental path of trying to figure out where she would go once she returned to Earth, and what she would do with her life. She was beginning to miss her mother very much. Relena felt she could use her mother's level-headed advice just about now.

Another set of footsteps alerted Relena to another presence. She opened her eyes once again, and her heart fluttered in her chest. Heero was half floating down the hall, the boots of his spacesuit occasionally touching down to push him off again. The movement caused his hair to sway, giving Relena a full view of his deep blue eyes. But he wore no glare. If anything, he wore a neutral expression, but his gaze was elsewhere. Relena wondered if he had even seen her sitting there.

She was feeling content to hide in the recessed window, but Heero's eventually found her. He stopped moving and stood near her, staring at her. Relena forced a smile, relief at his seeming to be one in piece washing over her. She carefully hopped down from her perch and clasped her hands in front of her.

"Relena," Heero said, in that way that never gave any indication that he was going to say anything else, like just her name alone was a full sentence. Relena moved suddenly, the impulse to run to him overwhelming and controlling her reflexes. But she stopped herself, and forced her shoulders back up straight. She bowed her head to him in greeting. Her mind whirled as she tried to think of something to say. In her peripheral vision, she could see that he was still standing there, seemingly waiting for her to move or say something.

"How does one thank someone for saving all of mankind?" Relena asked lamely, too afraid to meet his eyes. To her immense surprise, Heero chuckled lightly. She lifted her eyes to his. There was a smile, a small one, pulling at his lips. She watched as Heero leaned forward slightly and pushed himself forward, coming to a stop only a few inches from her. She tilted her head up slightly to look into his eyes, their heights not much different.

"I don't know," he answered. Relena's heart hammered in her chest so hard she thought he might be able to hear it. The smell of sweat lifted from his skin, and up close, she could see the lines under his eyes from exhaustion. "Maybe I should ask how to thank someone for helping to bring peace to everyone," he commented. Relena's face grew hot at the compliment, though she felt it was undeserved at the present.

"I haven't done anything," she said. Relena flinched slightly as she felt her hand suddenly taken up in Heero's hand, his fingers circling around her palm. His hand was so cold.

"Don't say that," he said, his voice low and gruff. Relena's eyes widened slightly. Heero's grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly. Finally, Relena threw caution to the wind and wound her arms around his neck and pushed herself up on her toes. She pulled him close to her, her face nestled against his shoulder. Hesitantly, his hands shifted around to her back, holding her lightly at first, then he tightened his grip, their bodies pressing against one another in a way they'd never done with anyone of the opposite sex.

"I'm just so glad you're alive," Relena said, her voice muffled slightly by the spacesuit he still wore. "I was so worried." She could feel his breath against her neck, and his hair tickled against her ear.

"You don't need to worry about me," he said. "You have more important things to worry about." Relena shook her head.

"I will always worry about you." Heero pulled away slightly, but didn't break the hug.

"Why?" he asked her. A blush crept up over her cheeks. The teenage hormone induced urge to yell "I love you" built itself up in her throat, but she swallowed that down. Instead she replied,

"You mean a great deal to me." To her relief, Heero accepted this answer with a slight nod. Slowly, almost reluctantly, Heero allowed his arms to fall from their place against her back, and Relena removed her own arms from his neck and stood a small step back from him. "What will you do now?" she asked, feeling silly, since she wouldn't know her own response if someone had asked her the same question.

"I have some things I need to wrap up," Heero said. Relena didn't know what he could have to wrap up, since he always seemed so nomadic, but she didn't want to press him further.

"If you ever need a place to go..." Relena said, her voice dropping low in embarrassment. Heero's hand, still cold, brushed against her cheek.

"Your task is just beginning, Relena. You have much to do now. If you are intent on worrying about me, at least keep me in the back of your mind. I promise I will be around whenever you need me," he said, his eyes soft, much like they were when he spoke to her before going off to fight the final battle with her brother. Relena wanted to ask him to stay by her side, but she kept that desire to herself. She understood what he was saying, and she knew her own mind and her determination well enough that until peace was stabilized, she would be so focused that she would hardly have time for anything else. And besides, Heero deserved so much more than to be her pillar of strength, when it was her strength he needed now. That burden had shifted the instant Heero brought down the offending piece of Libra. And perhaps someday, in the future when the load of world peace had been lifted from her shoulders, their paths would cross again, and perhaps at that time, they could share the new future together.

I know how the manga shows this, and I didn't like it, and of course the OAV gives us shippers nothing after the final battle. I like this one better :-)