And since I wanted to combine it with another project of mine I had to make it both PG-13 and somewhat vague in purpose. GAH!
Ah well, on with the fic! Hope you guys enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I don?t own GW or anything affiliated with it.
She was going to walk into a war zone and he wasn?t about to let her.
For weeks diplomatic relations with a relatively large portion of central Africa had been on the brink of something, well, less than friendly and Relena was not about to let things get out of hand. That in of itself was commendable. The problem was that she wanted to get a handle on the situation by personally going there. This was a nightmare for her most dedicated bodyguard who had checked out the region and found it to be one of the least defendable places to be. Everywhere was vulnerable. He?d have to be awake and watching her and everything around her every damn hour to make sure there were no snipers, bombers, or kidnappers. They?d have to practically set up a Preventors headquarters just for the one mission. Nothing could be worth that.
Of course explaining this to a determined Vice Foreign Minister was another matter altogether. Conversation moved from coldly civil to heated in a manner of minutes. Sadly, it was somewhat predictable on both parts, but despite knowing what the other was going to say both needed to make their own point in hopes that the other party would finally understand: he told her it wasn?t safe (in so many words), she told him in a slightly more polish fashion that it didn?t matter what he said. Relena was going to do exactly what she wanted to do. Then she stepped on dangerous grounds.
?You can?t MAKE me stay.? Heero reflected upon the challenge she had just issued. For a moment anger and concern warred, clouding his emotions, and he walked up to her. Looking down on the woman not giving the least sign of intimidation, he was spurred to this final and perhaps desperate act.
?Yes, I can.? His hands moved fast, grabbing her right wrist with his left hand. With a practiced movement his handcuffs were out and locked. For all purposes, he felt he had just won the argument. Relena pulled against their connected wrists and gave him a murderous look.
?Unlock these right now.? Her voice was low and monotone. A spark of something in her eye promised worlds of pain.
Smiling unkindly, he shook his head. ?You?re staying with me.?
Under other circumstances those same words might have sent a thrill down her spine, but at this point they just enraged her. She tried to grab the phone on her desk, but Heero merely took a few steps back and she was placed out of reach from her desk and its implements. For a moment she stopped struggling, blew some hair out of her face with an irritated puff, and tried to think. Heero had that smug note-quite-a-smile on his face and she just wanted to slap him. Her job was very important to her and she wouldn?t let him stand in the way for any reason whatsoever.
?I?ll need to leave this room sometime.? Relena gestured expansively, only managing to lift a little of the dead weight that was Heero?s arm.
?There are ways of concealing this.?
?What if I have to go to the bathroom or change clothes.? She tugged a bit at her collar and Heero eyed her neck.
He shrugged. Obviously he felt that it was part of the motivation she would have to concede to his point of view. Unfeeling bastard. Try another tactic.
?This hurts my wrist.? That got a reaction. He pulled a handkerchief out from his pocket.
?Line it.?
Relena did as he suggested even as she tried to think of other ways to convince him to remove the restraints.
?What will other people think if they come in here?? She put a little bit of haughty censure into the tone of her voice. This actually elicited a half smile from her bodyguard.
?What do I care??
?What if I scream until they come?? Relena?s eyes narrowed but she forced her tone to remain conversational.
?I?ll stop you.? He stepped closer and she took a step back. A little further and she could reach the desk. Taking some time to withdraw her own handkerchief and place it around her wrist along with his, she considered her next move.
?I?m surprised at you Heero, I thought you were the sort to use more sophisticated methods of detaining a person. You lack imagination.? Goading him only appeared to have the effect of wiping the smile from his face.
?I lack imagination.? Somehow she had touched a nerve. The subtle tension in his muscles and the hardening around the jaw line told her that much. The room suddenly felt much too small, and Heero too close, for Relena?s liking. Of course, she couldn?t get away from him. Her arm went limp and dropped to her side, brushing his hand over her leg inadvertently. She started and pulled away, but inevitably she only got so far before Heero was forced to follow. ?I lack imagination.? He repeated the phrase an a more menacing tone, eyes boring into hers.
Grabbing her wrist tightly, he pulled her towards the door of the office. Hitting the door with a fair amount of force, it appeared to resist for a moment. On the other side of the door they were met with a hailstorm of papers fluttering to the ground as Duo rubbed his forehead.
?Duo!? Relena cried out and flailed her one free arm frantically. Duo confusedly waved back and smiled.
?I?m just fine, Princess, thanks for your concern! I?ll come back later I guess.? He was gathering papers along with Relena?s assistant. Neither saw the handcuffs, not connected her behavior to anything particularly suspicious. It was Heero. When Heero was involved no one ever asked questions. With a soft chime, the elevator door opened.
?Duo! No! Hel - oof ? Heero pulled her into the elevator before she got out any more.
?No one can help you. I will win this time, Relena.? Shivers ran down her spin at his words. Most of them had to do with the pressure from the rage she was hiding.
?You?re making a big mistake Heero. Every punishment within my power to wreak on you, I?ll do it. You shouldn?t get in the way of my job.? Steely and serious, she tried to get control of her ire before she literally exploded.
?Well you shouldn?t get in the way of mine either!? He snapped. They both looked at the ground a moment or two. The ridiculous elevator music added a comedic overlay to the oppressive mood in the small box. Heero?s eye started to twitch to the beat and he covered up the twitch by brushing back his hair with his free hand.
?And you hurt Duo too. . .? Relena was reproachful.
?Listen, that was an accident. How was I to know Maxwell was right there?? He spoke with forced patience.
?Well, if you hadn?t stormed out in such a huff then, oh I don?t know, you?re being particularly exasperating today Heero!? Relena leaned against the wall of the elevator. Heero looked about ready to punch something, and he did: the control panel. Whether it was his strength, or just the sensitive nature of the wiring behind the panel, the whole elevator halted and the lights blinked before going out.
?What did you just do?? Relena felt like this had to be some sort of joke, or a dream, just not reality because reality never went this wrong for her. Reality wouldn?t be as ironic and unkind as to trap her in a dark elevator with her angry bodyguard while being handcuffed to said bodyguard.
?I think I broke it. I could fix it if I could see anything, but with no light and one hand incapacitated it would be too risky. Someone will notice soon, I?ll just radio it. . .? He paused. ?Tell me I win.?
?Excuse me?!? Threats? She didn?t respond to threats well.
?No one is going to notice this elevator is broken for some time unless I inform them. I assure you I am very patient. If you want this madness to end, just agree not to put yourself in danger and not leave for that mission.?
?This isn?t a mission! I was not assigned to do it, I do it of my own free will and I most certainly know better than to ever give in to a show of force as pitiful as this is. Someone will notice sooner than you think.? The subtle clink of the chains of the cuffs let Relena know of his change in posture. It was easy to be imperious when she couldn?t see him.
?Oh will they??
?Yes. Yes, they will.? She took a deep breath to scream, but it came out more of a gasp. Heero had surprised her by pressing her against the side of the elevator, hands pressed to either side of her head, body leaning over hers. His face was so close she could feel his breath on her cheek even if she couldn?t see him in the warm pitch of the small space.
?I can?t let you do that, Relena. It would be futile anyway, the air ducts wouldn?t carry your scream anywhere relevant. You?re here until I want to release you, and I won?t release you unless you agree to my terms.? His low growl sent tremors through her body as she tried to ignore his proximity. This was too distracting; she was in a very disadvantageous position. A idea occurred to her. Maybe she still had some power even now.
?If you don?t release me, I?m going to give you incentive to do so very shortly.?
?It?s a bluff.? He smelled like sweat and spice. Luckily for her, thoughts like that only strengthened her resolve if his words hadn?t. For his part, Heero attempted to filter through possibilities. Did she have a weapon? Did she know some damaging information about him? What could she possibly do?
Of course some of the thoughts he was having were an attempt to distract his mind from the fact that he was in a small, dark room with Relena, pinning her body against a wall. His head was nearly hurting with the force of concentration he had to conjure to NOT think of her body at the moment. Maybe that?s what made her attack so devastating.
At first he felt something soft brush his chin, but then what Heero very strongly assumed were Relena?s lips fastened over his own. The kiss didn?t last very long, for after a moment of sheer surprise his system was jolted into new trauma as she traced her tongue on the inside of his lips. Immediately, Heero pulled back as if he had been burned, but only getting so far before Relena was pulled along with him.
?You can?t escape Heero.? She was hurt more than anything by his reaction. What had seemed like a good idea at the time had just managed to reopen wounds she had never had the luxury to close in the first place.
Heero wondered if she had any idea what she just did. [Don?t be na?ve; that was certainly her tongue just then.] His mind chided him. The instant and extreme reaction to her kiss made him alarmed in the way conventional threats or actual pain could never touch him. What was even worse was that even as he ran from this he wanted to pursue it. Suddenly the elevator seemed to be the last place he wanted to be. He fumbled at his belt for the radio, and it fell from nerveless fingers as he got it out. As Heero reached down for it he felt his hands come in contact with soft fingers already clutching the object.
?I?m glad you?re seeing things my way now.? Her icy voice only slightly dampened the fire in his veins. He chose not to respond.
?This is Yuy. I?m with Darlian and the South elevator is stuck. I repeat, I?m with Darlian and the South elevator is stuck. Over.? His voice cracked when he said ?Darlian?, and he hoped it hadn?t been too obvious. He was a grown man, and this was a ridiculous time and place to suddenly feel like an awkward teen. After clearing his throat, Heero settled to wait for a response.
?We hear you loud and clear, Yuy. A team has been sent to get you out right away, it says you?re just a little below the third floor. Estimated time until arrival is two minutes. Over.?
?Acknowledged. Over.? There was another rustling noise from Heero and then a click as the handcuffs released their hold of Relena?s wrist. It was nice to have her hand back and she massaged the aching joint. They were silent until noises and voices cam through from the door. As a crack of light appeared, Relena only just made out the hint of a frown and a wide, blue, unblinking eye. Before anything else outside occurred, Heero grabbed her hand again.
?You win.? His voice was low, almost a whisper, but she caught it and squeezed the hand that caught hers in an almost painful grip. In response, Heero brought her captured hand up to his lips and kissed it roughly before dropping it and pulling away. Light poured down onto them and some maintenance guys grinned at them almost leeringly. A glare from Heero wiped the smiles off their faces and after Heero climbed up and out he offered Relena aide as well. As soon as he had made sure she was unharmed, his quick strides took him down the hallway and out of her sight.
?Boy, he?s in a mood.? A Preventor that had been sent with the maintenance men remarked. Relena gave a little half-smile in response. Right now she didn?t particularly feel like talking about anything. There was too much to sort out from the last couple minutes.
?Miss Darlian, ?scuse me, but you forgot your handkerchiefs.? The man addressing her held them out and she looked at both a moment before pocketing them. She thanked the man and made her way towards the stairs. It would be quite a climb the seven stories back to her office, but she wanted the time to think. Maybe it would have been more fun if she hadn?t won.
.... SEQUEL!!