Disclaimer:
I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.
Chapter 10: The Encounter
An Important AN:
If you are following the intricate plotline, I have made a few changes
in Chapter 9 dealing with the plan Heero, Duo, Trowa and Quatre are about to
carry out to catch Terry Spindown’s illegal activities. Nothing too drastic, though ^_^;;;.
You see, when working on Chapter 10, I ran into a few problems and
decided what Trowa will talk about in this chapter works better for my
storyline. If you want, you could check
out the changes in Chapter 9, but the explanation in this chapter should keep
you updated. Thank you and sorry for
any confusion.
<><><>
How many times had they met like this…cooped up in the back
of some dank, run down bar, or whispering in the wee hours of the morning over
a computer vid screen? Heero knew he
would be glad when all of this spy business was finally over.
His companion calmly took a sip of the amber liquid set
before him and pushed a lock of hair, with the very same ale color, away from
his eye, only to have it fall right back over his cheek a moment later.
Before Heero could fully ponder his friend’s wild and
seemingly fixed hair position,
a quiet and commanding voice brought him back on focus.
“Terry’s becoming more suspicious of me. He’s also extremely paranoid as of
late. He wants the girl,” Trowa spoke
seriously.
Heero let out a little grunt of consideration. “What of David Bowman? Shouldn’t Spindown be concerned about
finding him first?”
Trowa just shook his head. “Knowing Terry, Mr. Bowman is
lying face down in a gutter right now.”
Heero cocked an eyebrow at his friend’s bluntness.
“The only reason I know Relena is safe is because she is
with you.”
“So what do you propose?” Heero asked his long-time friend
and fellow soldier.
“I told Terry I could deliver. It was the only option I had left to keep his trust. He’s not stupid. It was obvious he would notice sooner or later that the moment I
showed up, his database was being hacked into more than usual and more
successfully. We are not the average
hackers.”
“I know,” Heero acknowledged, then quieted as he began
concocting a plan in his head. “Terry
is scheduled to meet Duo tonight at the spaceport, correct?”
“That is the plan,” Trowa answered, wondering what Heero
was thinking.
“How long does it usually take Terry to tamper with his
transactions?”
“Approximately one to two days. This time, I’ve heard there’s going to be an ‘accident’ with the
shipment after Duo’s delivered the goods.
In reality, the parts will be shipped in secret to the center of
Spindown’s construction site. A
government official will most likely come to investigate the reported
wreck. This is where the fraud
occurs. The word around here is Terry’s
got someone on the inside again. The
‘inspector’ will validate that the accident demolished all of the materials
Terry bought from Duo, and thus Spindown will be free to finish his satellite
using the supposedly ruined parts without any worries.”
Heero shook his head in disgust, but then smirked. “Little does he know that his packages have
been specially wrapped.”
Trowa returned the slight smile and gave a nod.
“Trowa,” Heero said, growing serious again. “Timing is key in this plan. After hearing your account of what Spindown
is up to, I have an idea to distract him from Relena. Are you up for some more acting?”
Trowa caught his friend’s hard gaze with his flashing
green orbs. “Only if you join me on the stage.”
<><><>
Heero strode through the door of Quatre’s mansion,
flipping his wrist to quickly check his watch.
They had only an hour before Duo had to be at the local spaceport with
Terry’s requested materials.
“Heero! Where have
you been? Quatre’s been getting
worried,” Duo walked beside his friend as Heero strode briskly through the
hall.
“Is the truck ready?” Heero asked in monotone.
“Quatre’s just checking over it now. The Preventers’ brought all the goods here
this morning. Everything seems to be in
order.”
“And you know what you’re doing?” Heero questioned,
straightening out his black overcoat as he walked.
Duo just rolled his eyes at his companion. “Yeah, yeah, of course, already! I drive the truck with the shipment to the
spaceport, meet Terry or one of his henchmen, sign a few forms, get my payment,
give them the goods, la de da de da…” Duo shrugged with a wave of his hand.
“I’m assuming ‘la de da de da’ means ‘informing the
Preventers of the transaction so they can prepare to infiltrate Spindown’s
operation.’”
“You speak Duo?” the braided man said with mock
surprise.
Heero rubbed his temples before continuing. “There will be
a decoy ship the materials will supposedly be loaded on. When it mysteriously explodes, a government
official working with the New Colony Project will come to investigate the
matter. Don’t be fooled, he’s working
with Spindown. I’m sure he will
question you. When you find out who he
is, be sure to let Lady Une know.”
“Will do!” Duo responded before asking, “So where will you
be during all of this?”
“I’ll be around,” was all Duo could get out of the cold
Preventers’ agent before Heero picked up his pace and left Duo lagging behind.
“Hey, get Relena, will ‘ya! It’s almost time to go,” Duo called to Heero before the brooding
man disappeared down the hall.
<><><>
Relena sat in the bedroom Quatre had so graciously
prepared for her these last few days.
She was perched on a chair next to the window, gazing out through the
glass at the night sky. When she looked
at the stars, she thought of the night she and Heero had been out on the
balcony together gazing at the tiny points of brightness. She smiled slightly, although it was a sad
smile, as she pondered how anyone was ever going to unlock that mystery of a
man. As if on cue, the moment the
vision of the handsome youth entered her mind, the real being appeared in her
doorway. If only he knew how she
suffered in silence because of him.
“Hello, Heero,” Relena spoke to the window, leaving the
man baffled as to how she always seemed to sense when he was near. In reality, she smiled at his reflection
upon the cool glass before her.
“Relena, we must go now,” Heero answered her, shielding
any tender feelings under his usual brooding demeanor.
“I suppose so,” Relena answered softly, turning round to
face him. She could feel his eyes
burning over her form, though the shadows embracing the dark room prevented eye
contact.
“So let’s get going,” Heero continued, somewhat agitated
when the small silhouette in front of the window remained still.
Knowing time was precious, Heero walked briskly towards
her, yet stopped when Relena spoke.
“Tell me, what will happen when this is over?” she
began. “What will happen when I am safe
again and don’t need your protection?” The last thought was said with bitter
undertones and Heero couldn’t help but wince.
“You’ll go away again,” the girl answered her own question
when Heero did not make an effort to answer it himself.
No matter how fragile she may have looked, Relena rose
with the dignity and strength reminiscent of her period as Queen. She grabbed at the jacket of the man
standing silently next to her, successfully catching some material of the
sleeve, and with a raised voice questioned, “Won’t you, Heero? You’ll leave!”
Heero mumbled something, not wanting to give away his
feelings just yet.
“Tell me the truth, Heero. Tell me right now. I
can’t keep torturing myself over you…I just can’t! If you are going to disappear again, so be it. At least I’ll know how you feel about me, I
won’t be falsely hoping for you to return some day and scoop me up in your arms
like some knight in shining armor.”
Heero could not hide the surprise in his eyes, which
Relena immediately played upon.
“Yes, Heero. When
you were away, I dreamed of you, but dreams can’t love you back.” Relena straightened herself, demonstrating a
maturity and willpower Heero did not expect of her at a time like this.
All repressed anger having finally subsided, Relena gazed
at Heero. Still clenching the material of his coat in her hand to calm her, she
spoke to him with seriousness in her eyes, “In the end, if you will go, I will
accept it. You once called me your
friend, and as a friend, I must respect your wishes. But as a friend, I also have my own request. If you choose to disappear after this
mission, you must disappear from my life forever. It’s not fair to you nor I if there is a lingering doubt as to
whether we are more than friends. I
must be able to move on with my life, and if I know I mean nothing to you, I
can do this in peace.” At least in
theory, she added mentally.
Heero Yuy had been cornered. This was it. His answer
would decide if he would lose her forever…and that was not an option. It seemed he had but one choice. It was so simple, yet his pride kept getting
in the way. Why did she have to demand
so much of him right now?
He had been cruel, he realized. How she must have suffered, and for what? Him.
A stubborn, proud, deadly, bad-tempered, moody assassin. He seemed to have ended up with the better
end of the deal, and he was about to let everything fall apart if he didn’t
answer her.
“No,” Heero said quietly.
Relena let go of his coat, looking up at him desperately, her
eyes questioning him.
He grabbed her hand that had just fallen and held it
protectively. “No, I will not leave
you.”
Instead of seeing her smile as anticipated, Heero was
faced with a stunned, small frown. “Can
I trust you?” Relena
questioned, averting her eyes down to the ground.
He was losing her.
Heero could tell by the pain marring her beautiful features that if he
didn’t act quickly, he would lose her for good. It was almost as if she had prepared herself for the worse, and
now couldn’t realize the happy truth of his words.
Thinking towards the future, his current mission, and what
might happen to the angel before him, Heero knew they still had rocky times
ahead. He needed to gain Relena’s faith
in him, especially if his plan to protect her was going to work. Heero brought Relena's face up to his and
looked into her eyes to focus her before he spoke.
"You must trust me as I am before you, here, right
now. Forget my name, forget my job,
forget everything. Just know that the
man who loves you is holding you this very moment, and no matter how I will
appear in the future, or where I go, I am loyal only to you."
Relena tightened her hold on him, shocked to the
core. Her eyes were wide, and light
that had never before reached those depths of ocean blue came swirling down
upon her. She let out a small shiver, feeling faint with butterflies and bliss,
and opened her mouth slightly to reply.
She had rehearsed her answer to his testament of love so many times in
her dreams that all of the words seemed to rush at her once. Her mind was so overcome that she could not
even utter a small squeak of apprehension.
And when the Adonis before her began to move closer…began to tighten the
gap that barely parted their flesh…breath mingling with heated breath, lips
taunting each other cruelly with each second apart, Relena could only flutter
her eyelids as a last attempt to communicate she was indeed still alive, though
frozen with both realization and anticipation.
So close…just a little more, Relena
thought as she watched his tongue run over his dry lips to moisten them as he
tilted his head, drawing closer while his fingertips gently caressed her
cheek. She closed her eyes instantly at
his touch and could almost feel the feather-like dance of his lips playing upon
hers when--
“Heero, Relena, it is time,” a voice called before Quatre
turned through the doorway of the room, barely giving the pair enough time to
jump away from each other. At the site
before him, Quatre merely tried to hide a smile, obviously aware at what was
about to happen. The blonde man bolted
back out of the room, cursing his bad timing.
He had always wanted those two to get together.
When the Arabian had departed, Heero moved to follow him,
motioning Relena to do the same. The
girl’s cheeks were still thoroughly washed in a scarlet hue and she wondered at
Heero’s calm appearance, considering the intense moment they had just shared.
Before they were about to move into the hallway, Heero
abruptly turned round to face the girl and grasped her rather roughly by the
shoulder, halting her to a stop.
“And for the record,” he said huskily, staring through
almost hooded lids, “we are not just friends.” And with that Heero proceeded to give Relena the most passionate
kiss of her life, before the fervent look of desire that his face betrayed
right before his action had even registered in the girl’s mind. The kiss ended as quickly as it first began,
leaving both participants out of breath.
Deciding he had made his point, Heero turned and started walking down the hall with a
satisfied smirk playing upon his lips, promising himself to continue what he
started later.
Relena, now completely flustered after the encounter, took
a few moments to catch her breath and proceeded to run after her object of
affection. While following Heero
through what seemed like endless corridors, the former princess’s mind was in a
haze, though she did manage to apprehend some coherent thought—truly difficult
after such a kiss—and formed the following conclusions: (1) if a man of few
words put more energy into his actions, then she had made an excellent choice
for a lover, as so enjoyably demonstrated by the previous kiss, and (2) they
were both lucky Quatre, with his polite and quiet nature, had been the one sent
to retrieve them rather than Duo.
<><><>
AN: Ta da!
Wow! That was filled with a lot
of Heero and Relena moments. I hadn’t
even meant for that last kiss to happen, but so many good moments end just when
they are about to kiss, so I decided to take pity and let them go at it. Hope you enjoyed it. Sorry it has taken me so long to get these
chapters out. And, as always, thank you
so much for reading!