Cuffs & Contracts 2/3
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2003 1:22 pm
She sighed, signing the last bill that she had wanted to get passed before she officially left office. It was still early in the day, and though she knew that many politicians exercised their powers to the best of their ability in their last few days of office, she felt no real inclination. She had accomplished more than she herself had ever thought possible, more than what the people themselves had dreamed.
Collecting the papers, she made sure everything was in order before making her way out to her secretary, giving her some last minute instructions. Her secretary smiled at her in a nostalgic sort of way and she left, back to the refuge of her office before she would get wrapped up in the emotion of finally leaving. She had cleaned out her office of any person materials a few weeks ago, had congratulated her successor, and overall had put her affairs in order.
She was going to be taking a break for a few weeks, some general lounging and relaxing, catching up on this book and that event, before she was going to travel. Many times in the course of her position had she traveled the world over, and yet every time she felt so deprived, as she was never allowed any time to herself to see all that she knew the world had to offer.
She smiled softly at the thought. Everywhere she had gone, so did her diligent bodyguard, who had, for the most part been true to his word when he'd said he'd take care of her. Though not in the way the statement had originally been intended, he still made sure she slept as much as time would allow, and still made sure she ate every meal with the occasional snack in between. And every place they had gone, somehow he had managed to find her a postcard.
She had kept them all in a box under her bed that she sometimes pulled out at night to look through and fantasize about when the pressures of her job felt too demanding and sometimes even a little overwhelming.
But she had never doubted that he had forgotten about their little encounter. There were things he did to remind her, whether it was encapsulated in a look, or even a touch. He had never crossed any boundaries that would be considered scandalous on any level, but he certainly took every opportunity to touch her.
Though the actual contact was always done in a pure way--her shoulder or arm, her waist occasionally when in large groups--, and to the average eye would seem to be nothing more than those of a friend --his generally cool and reserved exterior not allowing for any speculation on the matter--, she knew that he did nothing unless there was a reason for it.
And softly caressing her hand whenever they passed each other in the halls was not an accident.
So it was with a great resolve that she collected her briefcase and straightened her posture, before taking one last look around her office, and exiting.
"Surprise!" Her entire staff was standing outside, with a 'Good Luck' banner hastily strung on the wall, colorful party hats on even the most conservative, and watery smiles plastered across faces.
"What is this?" she asked, trying to keep the composure in her voice that she had worked for several minutes to command, not expecting what she was facing.
"A going away party!" Someone had exclaimed, as though that should have been obvious.
"I know you had wanted to try to duck out early on your last day, Miss Relena," her secretary had said in a teasing tone, "but we figured that since you never allow for celebration on your birthday, that you should at least have this, and know how much you mean to us!"
"Besides," one of her interns broke in as she began to protest, "there's cake!"
She laughed, and allowed for her own colorful hat to be placed on her head. She had never had a party like the one being thrown for her, and had never understood what Duo had meant when he had told her the balls she attended did not constitute one until then.
The afternoon passed much quicker than she intended, and it was with a heavy heart that she finally made her farewells. Realizing that her bodyguard, who was suppose to escort her home, had never showed, her earlier fear reemerged.
Though the car ride was smooth, every tiny movement seemed to break her nerve endings which had been pulled taught to capacity. By the time she was home, her hands were shaking and her breathing was ragged. Her body felt cold and her expression was one of barely controlled fear. The car came to a stop.
She entered her home, her eyes wide looking in every room she entered as though she expected she was about to be killed. Quickly as she could, she made it to her room, where she bolted the door, closed the heavy curtains over the darkening windows, and closed her closet and bathroom doors.
For several minutes, she stood in the dark, breathing.
After several minutes of nothing, tension seemed to release from her body. She slipped off her shoes, and took down her hair. She removed her coat and her stockings, laying them on the back of the chair at her desk. She turned on the light, its orange hue flooding everything in a five feet radius. She looked up into the mirror on the wall and gasped, her whole body seeming to jump.
Not even a foot behind her, dark eyes watched her own. Hands came to her shaking arms, sliding down their form with ease, coming to entangle themselves in her own. His head tilted slightly and those eyes dragged themselves down to the exposed skin of her neck that they hovered over.
Without her permission, her head seemed to arch to the side, letting his warm breath slide over the sensitive skin. Lips began to caress her skin, and her breathing hitched.
"Contract," she said, knowing the official ceremony had not yet taken place, and she was still under oath as Minister. They were so close, surely he would not break everything now? His eyes seemed somehow coy as they looked back up into her own through the mirror.
"Three years. THREE YEARS." His voice came out ragged as his lips brushed against her skin. "I've spent the average of the last three years thinking and agonizing over just how long three years really is. Do you know what I've surmised?"
She was shaking now, unsure of her own voice, but managed to whisper out, "No."
"Three years," he said, his eyes hard and soft at the same time, "is longer than three years."
She might have laughed under different circumstances, if his eyes had not frozen her to her spot. The problem was not that she was afraid of Heero. She had never been. She was terrified because she knew that he had been pushed beyond certain limits he was willing to put up with. She had only seen him pushed to these kinds of limits one other time.
She was not afraid of Heero. She was afraid of what he would do.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to take you home," he said, his eyes once again returning to her skin admiringly. "I had to see Une."
She wasn't sure whether or not that meant that Une had contacted him, or he had contacted her, but she watched him. None of his actions so far would be constituted as a breech in his contract. He was touching her in a more familiar way, but he had not kissed her. Ran his lips across her skin in a tantalizing fashion, maybe, but he had not kissed her.
She closed her eyes tight, and his hands squeezed hers, his thumbs massaging the inside of her wrists.
"What about?" Her voice sounded strained a bit, but she could not look at him.
She could hear his breathing in her ear. His hands wrapped around her, forcing her to hug herself as he held her tightly and brought her body leaning back against his own. His nose made a soft trail from her neck up the side of her jaw to her cheek.
"God, you smell good." His whispered endearment caught her off guard. She opened her demanding eyes.
"What did Une say?" His eyes were shining at her impatience.
"Are you nervous about something?" She was about to respond when his lips kissed her cheek. Her eyes watched him in disbelief. They kissed her again, the chaste affection sending her senses spiraling. His kisses began to move around the side of her face as she turned it toward him by the command of his eyes.
Her eyes slipped closed at the feeling, unable to recall anything while he was doing such wonderfully warming things to her. His lips reached the edge of her own. She turned her head a little more and his kiss was going to hit full on.
She could feel them, but they lingered against his own. Through her haze she heard him whisper, "I've been honorably discharged."
Her eyes shot open and he chose that moment to kiss her in full, his own dangerous eyes watching hers.
AN: wow! thanks to everyone who reviewed! it's really appreciated, and i'm honored to have so much feedback after just starting here! hope you enjoyed this recent update. Just as a forewarning: the next chapter is going to be a lemon...in case that wasn't ensued...
Collecting the papers, she made sure everything was in order before making her way out to her secretary, giving her some last minute instructions. Her secretary smiled at her in a nostalgic sort of way and she left, back to the refuge of her office before she would get wrapped up in the emotion of finally leaving. She had cleaned out her office of any person materials a few weeks ago, had congratulated her successor, and overall had put her affairs in order.
She was going to be taking a break for a few weeks, some general lounging and relaxing, catching up on this book and that event, before she was going to travel. Many times in the course of her position had she traveled the world over, and yet every time she felt so deprived, as she was never allowed any time to herself to see all that she knew the world had to offer.
She smiled softly at the thought. Everywhere she had gone, so did her diligent bodyguard, who had, for the most part been true to his word when he'd said he'd take care of her. Though not in the way the statement had originally been intended, he still made sure she slept as much as time would allow, and still made sure she ate every meal with the occasional snack in between. And every place they had gone, somehow he had managed to find her a postcard.
She had kept them all in a box under her bed that she sometimes pulled out at night to look through and fantasize about when the pressures of her job felt too demanding and sometimes even a little overwhelming.
But she had never doubted that he had forgotten about their little encounter. There were things he did to remind her, whether it was encapsulated in a look, or even a touch. He had never crossed any boundaries that would be considered scandalous on any level, but he certainly took every opportunity to touch her.
Though the actual contact was always done in a pure way--her shoulder or arm, her waist occasionally when in large groups--, and to the average eye would seem to be nothing more than those of a friend --his generally cool and reserved exterior not allowing for any speculation on the matter--, she knew that he did nothing unless there was a reason for it.
And softly caressing her hand whenever they passed each other in the halls was not an accident.
So it was with a great resolve that she collected her briefcase and straightened her posture, before taking one last look around her office, and exiting.
"Surprise!" Her entire staff was standing outside, with a 'Good Luck' banner hastily strung on the wall, colorful party hats on even the most conservative, and watery smiles plastered across faces.
"What is this?" she asked, trying to keep the composure in her voice that she had worked for several minutes to command, not expecting what she was facing.
"A going away party!" Someone had exclaimed, as though that should have been obvious.
"I know you had wanted to try to duck out early on your last day, Miss Relena," her secretary had said in a teasing tone, "but we figured that since you never allow for celebration on your birthday, that you should at least have this, and know how much you mean to us!"
"Besides," one of her interns broke in as she began to protest, "there's cake!"
She laughed, and allowed for her own colorful hat to be placed on her head. She had never had a party like the one being thrown for her, and had never understood what Duo had meant when he had told her the balls she attended did not constitute one until then.
The afternoon passed much quicker than she intended, and it was with a heavy heart that she finally made her farewells. Realizing that her bodyguard, who was suppose to escort her home, had never showed, her earlier fear reemerged.
Though the car ride was smooth, every tiny movement seemed to break her nerve endings which had been pulled taught to capacity. By the time she was home, her hands were shaking and her breathing was ragged. Her body felt cold and her expression was one of barely controlled fear. The car came to a stop.
She entered her home, her eyes wide looking in every room she entered as though she expected she was about to be killed. Quickly as she could, she made it to her room, where she bolted the door, closed the heavy curtains over the darkening windows, and closed her closet and bathroom doors.
For several minutes, she stood in the dark, breathing.
After several minutes of nothing, tension seemed to release from her body. She slipped off her shoes, and took down her hair. She removed her coat and her stockings, laying them on the back of the chair at her desk. She turned on the light, its orange hue flooding everything in a five feet radius. She looked up into the mirror on the wall and gasped, her whole body seeming to jump.
Not even a foot behind her, dark eyes watched her own. Hands came to her shaking arms, sliding down their form with ease, coming to entangle themselves in her own. His head tilted slightly and those eyes dragged themselves down to the exposed skin of her neck that they hovered over.
Without her permission, her head seemed to arch to the side, letting his warm breath slide over the sensitive skin. Lips began to caress her skin, and her breathing hitched.
"Contract," she said, knowing the official ceremony had not yet taken place, and she was still under oath as Minister. They were so close, surely he would not break everything now? His eyes seemed somehow coy as they looked back up into her own through the mirror.
"Three years. THREE YEARS." His voice came out ragged as his lips brushed against her skin. "I've spent the average of the last three years thinking and agonizing over just how long three years really is. Do you know what I've surmised?"
She was shaking now, unsure of her own voice, but managed to whisper out, "No."
"Three years," he said, his eyes hard and soft at the same time, "is longer than three years."
She might have laughed under different circumstances, if his eyes had not frozen her to her spot. The problem was not that she was afraid of Heero. She had never been. She was terrified because she knew that he had been pushed beyond certain limits he was willing to put up with. She had only seen him pushed to these kinds of limits one other time.
She was not afraid of Heero. She was afraid of what he would do.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to take you home," he said, his eyes once again returning to her skin admiringly. "I had to see Une."
She wasn't sure whether or not that meant that Une had contacted him, or he had contacted her, but she watched him. None of his actions so far would be constituted as a breech in his contract. He was touching her in a more familiar way, but he had not kissed her. Ran his lips across her skin in a tantalizing fashion, maybe, but he had not kissed her.
She closed her eyes tight, and his hands squeezed hers, his thumbs massaging the inside of her wrists.
"What about?" Her voice sounded strained a bit, but she could not look at him.
She could hear his breathing in her ear. His hands wrapped around her, forcing her to hug herself as he held her tightly and brought her body leaning back against his own. His nose made a soft trail from her neck up the side of her jaw to her cheek.
"God, you smell good." His whispered endearment caught her off guard. She opened her demanding eyes.
"What did Une say?" His eyes were shining at her impatience.
"Are you nervous about something?" She was about to respond when his lips kissed her cheek. Her eyes watched him in disbelief. They kissed her again, the chaste affection sending her senses spiraling. His kisses began to move around the side of her face as she turned it toward him by the command of his eyes.
Her eyes slipped closed at the feeling, unable to recall anything while he was doing such wonderfully warming things to her. His lips reached the edge of her own. She turned her head a little more and his kiss was going to hit full on.
She could feel them, but they lingered against his own. Through her haze she heard him whisper, "I've been honorably discharged."
Her eyes shot open and he chose that moment to kiss her in full, his own dangerous eyes watching hers.
AN: wow! thanks to everyone who reviewed! it's really appreciated, and i'm honored to have so much feedback after just starting here! hope you enjoyed this recent update. Just as a forewarning: the next chapter is going to be a lemon...in case that wasn't ensued...
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