I think all in all this story will be about 15 chapters long, not much more to go!Warning: Contains graphic lime, don?t say I didn?t warn you.
This chapter was written to the song ?Forever Love? by X Japan.
A dark shadow against the night sky, Peacecraft Manor rose majestically, a silent monolith in the rolling green countryside. It was a welcome sight to Relena?s tired eyes and she let out a small sigh of weary relief, glad to be home. She and Heero had been walking since just after nightfall and it was nearing midnight, a more trying exercise she had never had before. They had had to keep themselves hidden, unsure of the reaction if Relena was seen, considering her supposed prolonged stay in the company of a convicted criminal. This made for a more round-about way that kept them in the trees and away from wide open spaces and which called for a lot more walking. So, now at the threshold of her family land, Relena completely exhausted and ready for a clean bed and soft sheets. Her shoulder throbbed from constant jarring and she was emotional stressed from worrying about what the Sheriff might have spread about her during her absence. All of this, though, she kept from Heero. Her worries were not his, and were unimportant next to his plans for the Sheriff.
She turned her gaze to her silent companion, watching him and he, in turn, watched the manor for signs of life. Something had changed between them, so softly at first that it had taken her this long to notice it, the subtle shifting of the winds in the forest. She had had an inkling outside Duo?s cottage that afternoon, when his eyes had pulled her in with so little effort. What had alerted her more was the fact that she hadn?t wanted to free herself, content to stay captive in his gaze forever, frozen into crystalline memory by the power of his intense stare. She didn?t know quite what to make of these new feelings for him or, perhaps, she didn?t want to analyze them too closely. After all, he might feel nothing at all for her, and even if he did, she was a supposedly despoiled woman despite her connections to the throne. What man would take that sort of woman to wife?
<i>The sheriff obviously,</i> she thought sadly, her anger at William having passed with the setting of the sun. He was a poor, deluded man who had been corrupted by power and the attainment of it. He was to be pitied, if anything. She only hoped she might be able to undo some of the damage she was sure he had done in the last few days.
?Will you be alright??
Heero?s quiet voice broke her away from her melancholy thoughts and she blinked and refocused her gaze. His cobalt eyes were full of starlight, his dark unruly hair laced with moon rays. He seemed somewhat mystical in the evening fog, an unmoving spirit that nevertheless radiated power and leashed strength. He waited patiently for her to answer.
?I?ll be alright,? she answered softly. ?My brother and Lucretzia are still on their way here from London, there will be no one to see me come in.?
Heero?s eyes held her still, like a deer caught with the aim of an arrow. ?That?s not what I meant.?
She breathed out quietly and did not answer.
He seemed to accept this and turned his head to look again at the manor, releasing her unknowingly from the prison of his gaze. After a moment of silence, he looked back to her and lifted a hand towards her, an invitation. She accepted and slid her smaller hand into his, immediately feeling a sensation of safety as his fingers closed around hers. Together, they weaved themselves to moonlight and crossed the open field to the gates of the manor, which Heero opened as quietly as possible. Once in the courtyard, they went slower, the house seeming larger in their vision. Relena entered first, peeking inside before tugging Heero in after her and shutting the oak door with minimal noise. The hallway was pitch dark, the candles having been extinguished hours ago, which further served Relena?s plan of not being seen. She was certain everyone was asleep at this late hour and she felt a wave of relief wash through her as she came to realize that she was, at last, home.
She breathed his name quietly to the darkness and he shifted, allowing her eyes to catch the edge of his silhouette. She could feel the heat of his palm against hers and, suddenly, she was off balance. Here she was, standing in her brother?s darkened hall at midnight with a man she had always thought of as her childhood friend but was quickly becoming something more. What could she say to him? The night seemed to swallow her mind, leaving only her heart to show her how to act towards him now that so many things had changed. One unchecked word left her lips before she could truly understand what she asked.
?Stay.?
She felt him tense, a slight shifting of muscles that she probably wouldn?t have noticed if her sight hadn?t been so impaired. She fumbled for the right words to calm him again. ?It?s too late to go on to Huntington and we are both tired. I would worry about you less if you left in the morning, in the clear light of day.? She paused slightly, ?Please??
She felt the breath of his answer as he relaxed. ?Alright.?
Deciding against waking her handmaiden, Bette, she made up a bed for him herself in a chamber just done the hall from her own, leaving a candle lit on his night stand. They did not say goodnight, simply exchanged long looks before Relena willed herself to turn away and return to her own room. She slipped out of her dress silently, too tired to lace up her sleeping shift correctly before crawling into bed, asleep before her head hit the pillow, awaiting dreams more pleasant than reality.
* * * *
?No!?
She woke instantly, startled by something she couldn?t identify. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up, hugging the blankets closer to her against the cold night air. She didn?t know how long she had been asleep but she knew it couldn?t have been long. It was still dark outside.
?No, Peter!?
She jumped as the sound of Heero?s voice drifted to her, muffled by the walls that separated them. It must have been his cries that awakened her. He was having a nightmare.
Acting quickly, she pulled back the covers and stood from her bed. She didn?t bother to put anything on as she hurried down to Heero?s room, hoping no one else heard him. She had enough to answer to already without explaining why there was an unmarried man beneath her roof that no one knew about.
Thankfully, she entered his chambers without incident, pausing to let her eyes adjust to her surroundings. Heero was thrashing on the bed, and as she drew next to his bedside, she could see he had kicked his blankets off enough for her to notice that he wore only a pair of pants, his strong, muscled chest completely bare. Feeling a deep blush rise in her cheeks, she mentally berated herself. She should not even be there. Did she have no sense of modesty? What was she thinking?
She wasn?t thinking.
That much was clear for she didn?t leave as her mind was telling her to. Instead, she leaned over the edge of the bed and laid a cool palm on Heero?s forehead.
?Heero.?
He tossed under her fingers, mumbling. ?Peter, no?<i>Allah</i>?no??
She closed her eyes briefly in silent anguish before calling his name again. ?Heero, please, wake up. It?s just a dream.? Her words were soft but he jerked awake with a gasp and she leapt back, startled, a hand at her throat. He was breathing heavily as his suddenly very vulnerable cobalt eyes found hers, surprise rising in them before he started to shut down, hiding his emotions like he always did.
?Don?t,? she pleaded, going to his side again, urgent. He looked up at her, a muscle in his jaw moving. ?Please don?t push me away again, Heero?? For some irrational reason, she felt tears well in her eyes though they did not fall. Her body trembled as she reached out a slender hand towards him, unsure of exactly what she was going to do, but knowing she needed to do something.
From where he lay, Heero?s eyes darkened with an emotion that made her gasp and he abruptly reached out, gripped her arm and pulled her into bed with him in one fluid motion that left her breathless. Lying on her side, so close to him she could feel the heat of his body, his lips moved in a whisper inches from hers.
?Always act on your emotions,? he said softly, bringing his hands up to her face to wipe away the tears that finally fell upon hearing her father?s words. She was shaking, her nerves feeling too much to think coherently. She only knew that she needed him, just him, and that he needed her, too. Right now.
?Heero, please?? she said, tearfully, at the edge of breaking and, with an intensity that left her feeling faint, he leaned down and kissed her.
Her first real kiss.
It was not a gentle one, for they both were beyond that sort of control. Instead, it held all the passion she had seen in his eyes when he had pulled her to him, and she responded by curling her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. There was no thought after that moment, just the feel of his bare skin, his breath across her loosening shift, his fingers tangled in her long hair. She did not even contemplate stopping. Indeed, she could not think enough to <i>think</i>, and in the end, it was Heero who managed to find the strength of will to ask a question in an emotionally roughened voice, his eyes proving to her that he would comply with whatever she decided.
It was at the moment she realized what it truly meant to love Heero Yuy.
?Yes,? she answered, and she kissed him as they melted together, losing sight of their own personal identities and become one, complete soul. When they spiraled over the edge, it was the immense satisfaction and joy of finding the one thing in your life you always dreamt of, and they did not release each other, even when sleep began to sprinkle her dust over them. Instead, they lay entwined, breathing each breath together.
It was the first time in years Heero slept without nightmares.
* * * *
?Where is she? I want to make sure she is alright with my own eyes.?
?Sir, I think she?s still abed. Please, you can?t go up there!?
The frantic sound of her handmaiden?s voice work Relena out of a perfectly wonderful sleep. Her head was cradled in the dip between Heero?s neck and shoulder, her gold hair spread over his chest like a fan, so completely comfortable she had no desire to move. Heero was still asleep and so, trying not to wake him, she disentangled herself from the sheets and attempted to slip out of his embrace. Immediantly, the arm around her waist tightened and she looked down into the smoky gaze of the thief of her heart.
There were no words.
Except for?
?My Lord Sheriff!? Bette said loudly, for her mistress?s benefit. ?I must insist that you halt. You cannot enter a lady?s bedchamber like this! You simply cannot!?
Eyes widening, the lovers sprang from bed, Relena pulling her shift over her head with rapid speed while Heero grabbed his shirt. Still, they were not quick enough. The bedroom door slammed open and hit the wall, revealing the Sheriff and five of his men, Bette behind them, wringing her hands. The moment William took in Heero?s unbuttoned shirt, her disheveled shift, and the bed, his face went livid and he pointed a finger directly at Heero.
?Get him,? he said coldly. The Sheriff?s men entered the room, drawing short clubs from their belts. Immediantly, Relena was enraged.
?No, I will not allow this, Sheriff,? she said, barely recognizing the ice in her own voice. ?This is my house and you are trespassing. Leave immediately or? ?
?Or what, my lady?? William asked, ?You'll send for the king? I?m afraid he?s not here.? A cold grin spread on his face. ?But I am, and I must see that a relative of his is protected from harm. Clearly you are distraught or you would not be trying to protect this outlaw.?
Relena felt her blood run cold, ?Outlaw??
?Why, yes.? The Sheriff sounded surprised, though she knew it was faked. ?He was responsible for your kidnapping.? He waved a hand at his men, ?Bring him.?
Relena screamed as three of the soldiers converged on Heero, the other two coming over to keep her from running to his side. The Sheriff watched, immensely satisfied.
Heero fought, of course, it was not in his nature to go peacefully. For a few anxious moments, she thought it he might actually win, but being weaponless, off balance and out numbered, he was eventually beaten down by the vicious sting of three clubs. The guards laughed as they shackled him, kicking him forcefully in the stomach when he continued to resist. By this time, Relena was sobbing, straining against the hands that held her back. She looked to the Sheriff, completely overcome.
?How could you do this?? she raged, tears dripping down her face. ?How could you??
William didn?t answer as the guards holding Heero began to pull him from the room. Heero managed to look over his shoulder at her, the words he couldn?t say in his eyes for her to read, before he was gone. The Sheriff?s men released her but she barely noticed, her heart constricted in her chest. It was only when Bette came to her side after they were all gone, crying and apologizing for being unable to keep the Sheriff out that Relena came back to herself.
?It?s alright, Bette,? she said, her voice sounding far away even to her own ears. She turned a dim gaze to her handmaiden. ?I need you to do something for me now. Saddle the fastest horse in the stable and bring it around to the courtyard.?
?Your leaving?? Bette asked, surprised.
Relena didn?t bother to wipe the tears from her cheeks. ?I have to find someone.?
* * * *
Relena rode into Sherwood at a gallop, heedless of the danger of riding through a forest at such a reckless speed. Her mount jumped wildly over fallen timber and she ducked low lying branches, her golden hair flying behind her, untamed. Her focus was purely on the trees around her and her voice called out to them, anguished and fierce.
?Outlaws of Sherwood! Come to me!? she cried, ?Please! To me!?
When Trowa finally dropped from a tree directly in front of her, causing her horse to rear in fright, she did not react accept to keep her seat, her eyes glittering with tears.
?What has happened, my lady?? The outlaw asked, and she saw absently in the set of his eyes and the curve of his lips, Catherine?s determinism.
?The time has come,? she replied shortly, ?The time to act is now.?
?Then we are ready.?
* * * *
Heero was barely aware of his surroundings, his mind could only process the pain his body was in. The guards had known what they were doing, going for the most vulnerable parts of his body to incapacitate him before working him over everywhere else. His ribs burned with each breath he took, one of his arms wouldn?t work correctly, and one eye was swollen shut, giving him a blurry one-sided look at the world.
Upside down.
The Sheriff?s men had been kind enough to tie him over the side of a horse, stomach down, so that his head jolted with every step his mount took. It would not be long until he was unconscious and he almost welcomed it. It would be a relief not to feel.
Perhaps it was his punishment for feeling so much last night. Cradling Relena in his arms had been like being rewarded for simply being born. For simply being himself. He could not imagine what had possessed him to pull her into his arms, but he knew it had been absolutely right. He felt no guilt looking back on it, he never would. Only a tenderness reserved exclusively for Relena, a feeling he didn?t have much experience with but could learn to enjoy. She was the light to his shadow, the one thing that had never let him down.
She was his hope.
?You know, it really is strange.? The Sheriff?s voice drifted down to him from the side, making him grit his teeth. ?I almost feel sorry for you. Isn?t that odd? You?ve lost everything. Your pride, your freedom, and your woman.? De Grey?s voice grew soft, almost liquid. ?Ah, Relena. I almost thank you for having your way with her. Now, when she comes to my bed, she?ll know how to please a man.?
Intense rage filled him, the like of which he had never seen even in the worse moments of battle. He knew the Sheriff was baiting him, just waiting for him to make a mistake, but what the insufferable man didn?t know was that Heero Yuy didn?t make mistakes.
He also didn?t know that he really shouldn?t have decided to travel so close to Sherwood.
When four outlaws dropped from the tree branches, dressed so that they could barely be distinguished from the scenery, the Sheriff?s men were so surprised the battle was over before it began. Two men were knocked unconscious by Sally?s staff, another was brought down by Duo?s scythe, another by Wufei?s fist, and still another by Trowa?s arrows. The sound of this scurrying battle was noisy but Heero could make out the rapid sound of hoof beats coming ever closer. When he was suddenly cut loose of his horse and caught in gentle arms, he knew who it was that had come him.
?Relena,? he croaked, his voice hoarse.
?Shhhhhhhhh, I?m here.?
More hands helped him up onto the back of Relena?s mount and he managed to get his bearings. The Sheriff was surrounded by outlaws and his grip on his reins was tight, his knuckles white. Trowa stood closest to him, an arrow aimed at his heart.
?The bounties on your heads will be raised so high you?ll never be able to get within ten miles of any town.? William was saying angrily, clearly frightened. Sally laughed but Trowa only looked at the Sheriff calmly. The others began to back into the trees, fading even as Relena guided her horse into the forest after them. As they entered the edge, Heero twisted back to see Trowa still standing firm, bow drawn taunt. His voice was the cool whisper of the wind.
?The war is coming, Sheriff. Are you ready??
TBC...
