********************************* :) *********************************

*takes place after endless waltz*

Relena was working late in the Peacecraft mansion.  She had been going over documents all night, and now it was well after midnight.

After working for nine hours straight, she found herself getting hungry.  She walked down to the kitchen, all the cooks having left hours before.  She didn't bother to turn on the light because she could see by the moonlight coming in through the window, but it left deep shadows in the corners of the kitchen.

Relena didn't notice Heero watching her from the hallway. It had been a year since he had last seen her.  He didn't know where she was in the mansion when he broke in; he had gotten lucky when he saw her walk into the kitchen.  The night was going well, he thought.

He watched her walk over to the refrigerator and open the door, spilling golden light on to the tile at her feet.  Heero slipped into the kitchen behind her.  She didn't hear him enter the room.  Heero couldn't take his eyes off her.  She was bathed in the light from the refrigerator, looking just like the angel everyone claimed she was. He stopped when he heard her start humming "Rhythm Emotion" softly.

She sorted items on the shelves, looking for something she'd like that didn't require much energy.  Ah ha! the perfect food!  Cold Pizza!

He took a step closer so he could smell her hair.  It was driving him crazy.  He couldn't stop himself, and reached out to gently touch her hair.

At his touch, Relena jumped, and in fright she spun around, shoving cold pizza in his face before taking up a fighting stance.  When she realized it was Heero, she screamed "Heero Yuy!  What are you doing here in the middle of the night?! You scared me to death!"

He pulled the pizza off his face and tried to say her name but was cut off by Relena's yelling.

Lights started to turn on and movement could be heard from upstairs.  Heero started to get nervous. He grabbed Relena's hand and pulled her out the kitchen door, into the garden.  He still had pizza sauce, cheese, and an olive on his face.  He put his hand over Relena's mouth to shut her up. She didn't like that, and glared at him.

"Relena" he whispered, harshly.  "What are you doing?"

She struggled against him, freeing her mouth enough to talk. "What are *you* doing?" she retorted.

"I..." he got lost in her eyes, his hand gently brushing her cheek. "Relena... I've come back for you."

She gaped at him. "What?"

"I realized, when I was away, that I can't live without you.  We can be together now, Relena."  They heard voices coming from inside.  "If your brother doesn't kill me first!" he added as she pulled his hand down.

"Who's out there?" Zechs called from inside.  "Relena? Is that you? Are you all right?"

"It's just me." Relena answered.  "Just taking a break, Millardo.  Sorry to wake you. Go back to bed."

"Oh, ok.  Just don't stay out too long" he said wearily.

"I won't!" Relena promised. "I'm coming back inside in a few minutes!"

They watched as he went back upstairs, lights shutting off to mark his progress.

Heero had not taken his eyes off of Relena the whole time.  She was protecting him!  He took that as a sign that Relena still loved him.  "Relena" he whispered again, in awe as she looked at him.

"Will you stop saying my name?" she sounded irritated.

"Wha..." Heero said "But I..."

"First, you disappear whenever you want to" she began.

"But..."

"You never tell me where you're going, or for how long."

"I'm sorry..."

"You give me nothing, Heero!" she finally exploded.   "Except a teddy bear!  My *brother* gave me a teddy bear, Heero! You think you can show up here, in the middle of the night, and expect me to be thrilled with you?"

"I'm not going to go anywhere. Not anymore."

Relena chose to ignore him. "What did you expect? That you'd show up and I'd jump into your arms?"

"I love you Relena" he said, hoping it would shut her up.

"You think you can sneak into my room in the middle of the night, and I'd jump into bed with you?  Was that your plan?  Don't you 'I love you Relena' me, Yuy!"  She paused for breath, and didn't notice Heero blushing. "After I finish those diplomatic reports, I'm going to bed!  I have a life." Heero blinked at her. "Good night, Mister Yuy."  She went inside and and made sure to slam the door. "If you want to see me, call my secretary and set up an appointment like everybody else" she yelled through the door.

Just than a huge cloud broke, releasing a hard sheet of rain.  But Heero could do nothing but stand and look at the space where she had been, completely dumbfounded.

Relena went up to her office, slapping the folders closed and into a pile on her desk. She started muttering to herself. "Bastard!  Perfect solider!  Perfect jerk is more like it!"

Heero finally walked up to the kitchen door and opened it.

Relena turned the lights off in her study and went down the hall into her bedroom to undress, and at least try and get some sleep.

He walked through the house and went upstairs. He found her dark and empty study, and decided to look for her bedroom.  He walked down the halls listening for sounds. He heard something and opened the door to find Millardo asleep in the bed.  He closed the door very fast but didn't make a noise.  Heero wiped sweaty palms on his jeans, and kept going down the hall until he saw the room at the end of the hall, with light showing underneath the door.

'It *must* be Relena' he thought.  He moved his hand up to the handle, but before he could reach it the door opened and Relena plowed into him, making her fall on her butt.  Heero looked down at her knowing that if she screamed, Zechs would kill him.

She looked up at him with death in her eyes.  He bent down to help her up, but she quickly pushed him away and scrambled to her feet.  He couldn't hide the hurt he was feeling.

"What the HELL do you think you're doing?"

"Umm...."

"You're sneaking into my room!?" She glared at him. "I should call Millardo."

"NO, no!  Relena, please!"

"Then tell me what you are doing in my house!"

"I told you! I need you. I...I love you, Relena."

"Oh, right you love me.  How could I have forgotten?"

"Of course I do! You're the only thing I have ever loved!"

"Heero--give it up!"

"I love you more then...then Wufei loves Nataku!  Then Maxwell loves his hair!"

"I don't know why you're doing this, but I know it's not because you love me!  You don't know what love is."

"Then please explain why the hell I *am* doing this!"

"Get out of my house!" She pointed her hand down the hall.

"Maybe I don't really know what love is. But I do know that if anyone can show me what love is...you can."  He looked like a kicked puppy.

She rolled her eyes.  "Heero, I'm too tired to play this game."

"I'm asking for another chance, Relena."

She walked back in her room and closed the door.

"Maybe I don't deserve it, but I'd like to think I do!" Heero heedlessly shouted through the door. He heard a door open, but didn't consciously register the meaning. "I'll wait out here until you talk to me, Relena!" Heero called.

"The hell you will!" Zechs yelled.

Heero turned around to find Zechs right behind him. With the death glare. "Ulp."

"Heero Yuy!" Zechs shouted. "What are you doing here!  Why are you attempting to assault my little sister!"

"I'm not assaulting her."

"Yes he is." Relena could be clearly heard from behind the door.

"You're yelling at her door in the middle of the night. I'd say that's assault. She obviously doesn't want you here, get out before I kill you." He waited to see if Heero would give up.  He didn't.  "I'd do it anyway, but I don't want to have to take all that time to hide the body."

Heero got that stubborn look on his face.  "No.  I'm not going anywhere."

"What do you mean, 'no?'" Zechs's voice was low and quiet, and very dangerous.

Relena opened the door and stuck her head out. This would be fun. "Are you still here?" she asked Heero.

"Relena, I'm not moving until you believe me."

"Wanna bet?" Zechs growled.  He got a good, firm grip on Heero's shirt.

"Fine!" Relena said. "Stay out there all you want."

"Relena!" Heero shouted desperately. "I love you! Marry me!"

"Millardo!" Relena yelled. "Do something!"

But Zechs was already smashing his fist into Heero's face.  Heero hit the wall hard, his head bouncing a couple of times.  Relena's mouth dropped open and she started to look worried.  Heero looked more then slightly dazed, and a thin trickle of blood started flowing from his nose.

"You don't really need to kill him do you? Maybe you could just make him go away." Relena suggested with a half smile, hoping he would stop. Zechs stopped to consider.

"Fine" he said. "I'll throw him out." He punched Heero in the stomach for good measure. "Are you sure you don't want him killed? He'll keep coming back."

"No." Relena turned back to her room.

"I'm sorry Relena" Heero groaned, trying not to drip too much blood on the carpet. "For everything."

Noin came out to see what was going on. "Zechs!  Heero?"

Relena looked back at him. She started to feel bad.

"What's going on here?" Noin demanded.  Heero hung his head, accepting his fate, and wishing for a self-destruct button that worked.

"Millardo, please just put him into one of the spare rooms for the night."  They all turned to look at Relena.

"What!"  Zechs groaned.  He was a little disappointed.

"That's better" Noin said. "We'll discuss this in the morning."

It was decided he would stay in a room on the other end of the hall, so that Zechs and Noin's room lay in between Heero and Relena.  Zechs said he would stay outside Heero's room all night to make sure he didn't try anything.

"That's not necessary" Heero mumbled.

"Shut up you!" Zechs yelled, and shook him.

"I always knew I wasn't worth anything. This just proves it." Relena's eyes grew sad, and she turned away quickly.  Heero turned his back and began to walk down the hall.

"Good night Heero." Relena said softly.  Heero paused.  But she continued into her room.  Heero continued walking away, Zechs giving him the occasional push from behind.

                     *the next day*

Relena was a bit nervous about coming down to breakfast. Wondering what to say and do. But she didn't realize that Heero was even more nervous.  They meet in the hall on their way downstairs. They couldn't look at each other, they just walked side by side.

"Good morning" Heero whispered when they reached the foot of the stairs.  She looked straight ahead, unresponsive.  Heero could feel his heart breaking all over again.

All Relena could think was 'Don't fall for him, Don't fall for him... he'll just leave you again.'  They walked down to the dinning room and he let her enter first, keeping his head down, looking at the ground.

Zechs, already in the dinning room, just wanted to get this over with so he could throw Heero out of the house.

Relena felt very self-conscious as she took her seat, aware of every move Heero made, just as he was of hers.  Zechs just glared as they sat across the long table from each other, staring at the wood, not daring to lift their heads.

Noin was trying to figure out to handle this, since someone had to. She tried to lift the heavy mood.  She smiled and asked “How is everyone?"  No one said anything. "Ok" she said, a little less hopeful.  She looked at Zechs and found him eyeing Heero.

She kicked him under the table.

"Ow," he tried to rub his leg. “What the hell was that for?" She glared at him.

"Stop it!" She looked at Relena and then Heero. "You two, stop this too!  What's going on!" They both looked at her, but said nothing.  Zechs took it upon himself to tell what had happened.

"That boy broke in here last night, and attacked Relena to do God knows what to her!"

Heero flushed. "I just wanted to see her! I would never harm her!"

"He didn't attack me," Relena said softly.  "He just..."

"Just what?" Zechs demanded.

"He's planing something.  I don't know what, but it has something to do with him saying he loves me.  Frequently." Noin smiled. Heero blushed. Zechs glared. Relena blushed, for good measure.

"It's all lies, Relena" Zechs announced.

"It is not!" Heero shouted.

"He doesn't know what that word means!"

"Baka! It's all true!"

"How would *you* know!"

"Didn't you abandon her too, once?"

"That was different!"

"How?" Relena snapped.

"It had to be done" Zechs protested.

"So you could go play war." Relena yelled.  Noin thought this was going to be theraputic, so she held back and waited.

"I was fighting for peace, and you had to work for peace without fighting, so that someone would be left who was pure and who could function without a gun in their hand!"

"So you left me to take care of a world! A lot of good that's done me!" Relena was flushed in anger this time.

Heero let out a small smile. 'That's my girl,' he thought.

"What the hell are you smiling at!" Relena yelled to Heero.  He paled.

"I...I just thought..."

"Now everyone just calm down!" Noin yelled. "Now, why don't we," she looked at Zechs, "let Relena and Heero talk."

"Never!" Zechs yelled as he stood up, knocking his chair over.

"Zechs!" Noin raised her voice again. "We'll be in the living room if you need us" she said to Relena and Heero.

"But Noin!"

"Now!" Noin yelled, grabbing Zechs's arm and pulling him away with her, righting the chair on the way. They walked to the living room, leaving Relena and Heero alone.

Heero looked at Relena, their eyes meeting for a moment. before she looked down.  He decided to let her start this time.

She didn't know what to say, so she decided to let him start.  'If he wants to win my love, he will have to prove it' she decided.  They sat in complete silence.  She looked up at him, he felt her eyes on him, so he looked up. When their eyes meet she looked down again.

His eyes softened, taking her in.  She was so beautiful.  She looked back up at him their eyes finally locking.  Heero wanted to smile, but couldn't remember how.  Neither could look away, neither wanted to.  A small smile slipped through her mouth.

"I missed you" Heero whispered. Her smile left her face.  Heero's eyes widened in panic. What had he done now?!  Heero didn't think he said something wrong, so why couldn't he say anything right?  He felt a pain in his chest.  His eyes fell, and he stared at his lap again. His heart was aching. He would have to go away, after all, so that he'd never hurt her again.

"Heero..."  He couldn't breath.  Relena winced--she hadn't meant to say that.  He looked up at her, hopeful. But she just looked down.  His face fell and he looked down again. She started chewing her lower lip.  She let out a sigh.  He looked up at her again, waiting.  He would take whatever she would give him.

"This is stupid. We're acting like children" she said softly.  He nodded encouragement. "I don't know why you're here..."

Heero closed his eyes in pain.  Hadn't he made that clear?

"...But I want you to stop," she continued.  He nodded, slowly. It was difficult to swallow around the lump in his throat. "There is no need to....If you need something, just ask." He looked at her blankly. "There is no need for all this nonsense."

"I need you" he said, very softly, still puzzled.   He tried to appear unafraid.

"You've never needed me before. Why now?"

"I've always needed you" he corrected.  "Ever since the beach.  You were the only human connection I had."

"That's why you said you would kill me?"

He winced.  "I expected to die soon."

"You are always expecting to die."

"But I couldn't stop thinking about you, even when I was driving away, I couldn't concentrate."

"You want me to believe that you just changed your mind?"

He shrugged.  "I kept trying to die, and it never worked. I guess I decided I might have a reason to live."

"If you loved me then you would have told me that when I told you how I felt.  But instead..."

"I was still expecting to die then."

"You told me I didn't love you and then you left me!" Her voice was starting to rise.

"I didn't want you to get hurt" he replied, stone faced.

"You hurt me more by leaving."

"I didn't know what it was. That it was...this.  I thought you were just infatuated with danger."

"I couldn't live waiting for you forever.  I had to move on."

Heero froze, unable to move, breath, or keep his heart beating.  There was a sick feeling in his stomach.  Living alone in misery was one thing, but living while knowing someone else had Relena...  "You mean you...is there someone else?"

She ignored him, though.  "I would have died for you!  Is that what you call 'infatuation?'"

"I would died for you.  I killed for you.  Now, I think I'd like to try living for you."

She gasped.  Did he really just say what she thought he said?  "What?" Relena asked, just above a whisper.

Heero swallowed.  "I meant it."

"W-what did you say?" She was fighting tears.

"I want to live for you now, Miss Peacecraft.  If you'll allow it."  Her eyes turned glassy.  Her bottom lip started to quiver.  Heero dropped his eyes.  She got up, keeping her eyes on him.

Heero closed his eyes, believing she was leaving him for good.

She walked over to him, stopping at his side. He held still, waiting for her.  She bent down next to him.

"Would you ever go away again?"

"Only if you tell me to."

"I don't want you to go anywhere." He sucked in a breath, and looked up at her quickly.  She smoothed his hair from his face.  He leaned into her  hand. "Stay."

He brushed his lips across her wrist and nodded, unable to speak.  He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. She leaned down to his face, brushing her lips over his. She closed her eyes as he pulled her down into his lap.

"I do love you" he whispered.

Zechs had gotten nervous not hearing any voices, and chose that moment to enter.  When he saw Heero and Relena he grew very red.  "What the hell are you doing to my sister?"  Noin quickly ran in, and pulled Zechs out again, hissing "Leave them alone!"

Heero and Relena didn't seem to know that Zechs had seen them.

"Marry me." Heero asked again.

"We'll see."  Relena gently smiled, and he kissed her.

      *the end*