Last Chance For Romance (3xR)

[raine_yuy]

<b>Disclaimer:</b> Standard.

<b>Note:</b> I can't seem to stop writing 3xR. Gah! Oh well.







She stumbled into the dark room just when the night was near its death and giving birth to light. His ears picked up her rumblings as she groped for a solid support to hold her awkward effort to proceed into the apartment. He stood from the kitchen table where he had been calmly drinking cold coffee and turned the light on.

Like a thief caught in the headlight, she blinked incomprehensively and tried to shield her eyes from the sudden light. He approached her without a word and took her elbow to guide her. It took an effort to keep his touch gentle when violence hung heavy inside his guts. He wanted to strangle her though without the purpose of causing pain but with the desperate need to shake her awake from such a horrible nightmare.

They made their way blindly to her bedroom; one hand holding her up while the intoxicated girl struggled with futile effort. He shoved her softly into the room before flooding it with light. She blinked her reddened eyes again, still trying to focus her attention to the situation through her throbbing head. She felt like hell. Finally, she turned and met cold green eyes.

?Trowa. Wh?what are you doing here?? She stumbled and her legs met the sharp edge of her bed.

?Waiting for hours for you to get home.? There was no inflection of emotion laced into his tone.

With a reckless laugh she replied, ?I was just out with a few friends. You know, having a good time.? Then she raised one sharp brow and met his gaze tauntingly. ?I doubt you?d understand.?

?I understand just fine.? Why was it so difficult to just walk out and leave her on her own? He cursed himself for the weakness and for the first time became sharp with the frail blonde who stood defiantly before him. ?Go wash yourself before you go to bed. You smell like shit.?

It was a slap that hit her full force in the face. Rage travelled through her system as she brought her face threateningly near the man before her.

?Don?t you tell me what to do. You have no right to tell what to do! Who the hell do you think you are?? He barely even flinched as she hurled the words like bullets. Frustrated beyond control, she closed her hands into tight fists and pounded her pain against his chest. ?Damn you! You?re nobody! Nobody!?

He forced himself to stand still, to take her blows over and over. It didn?t hurt him. Not physically anyway. But the release of pain he saw in her eyes drew blood that she couldn?t see. And he closed his eyes in fear that she would discover his weakness. He would have gladly taken a sword to his heart just to ease a little of her own sorrow. How often was it for her to just let go?

Spent and breathing raggedly from exertion, her arms tired and slipped inevitably to her side. She hung her head partly in shame and partly in exhaustion. She felt his arms gently pushed her away. Her anger dissipated just as quickly as it had claimed her emotions so all that was left was the emptiness she loathed as much as she feared.

?Go take your shower, Relena. Then you can go and rest.?

He was giving her an easy way out of the awkward situation she had created for the both of them. How was a person to deal with a drunken, hysterical woman who smelled like shit? She swallowed convulsively the desire to slide herself to the floor and never get up again. Everyday, she found it harder to slip out of bed and greet the day. The pain of loss simply would not leave her.

He watched her carefully as she gathered herself. She appeared about ready to drop on the spot. Without giving himself the time to think, he swept her up roughly into his arms and carried her into the bathroom. Her gasp of surprise was ignored as he proceeded to deposit her directly inside the shower stall and under the faucet. He had done it enough times to even hesitate as he stripped her of her black dress and then adjusted the water to lukewarm before facing her again.

She wanted to protest. Just like ten other times before when she had arrived to her apartment drunk beyond oblivion. And as always, Trowa would be waiting for her to clean the mess she had made of herself. She was beyond humiliation now and was used enough to his arrogance to be resigned. Her semi-nudity barely made her wince anymore. Her head pounded with enough force to make her forget her decency.

She gasped as the first full force of water assaulted her naked skin. Her bra and underwear became plastered to her body and lost its purpose in covering what was left of her skin. Dazed and vulnerable, she clung to a pair of hard, broad shoulders to steady herself under the stream of water. As soon as they were done, Trowa dried her with a towel and wrapped her in a comfortable white robe. He carried her back to her bedroom and gently deposited her in her bed.

?I?ll be back with something for the headache.? He announced quietly before leaving the room.

Drowsy and painfully spent, she only nodded before dozing off to a restless sleep. Her last conscious thought was of a solid man and the strange peace she found in his green eyes. And those strong arms that had steadied her far more times than she could count in a lifetime. Her solid man.

Trowa entered the dark bedroom with a glass of water and the medicine only to find Relena curled up on her side and sleeping fitfully. He hesitated before coming fully into the room for fear of disturbing her. The moon shone through the drapes of her windows and bathed her in its soft light. In a trance, he blended with the shadows and stood near her bed, and just watched. He kept to himself the urge to touch her, to slide his hands against her soft skin. To feel the warmth of her breath against his and confirm her existence.

His gaze wandered to her nightstand and unerringly steadied on a framed photograph of a dark-haired, Prussian eyed man. He wondered, not for the first time, why he punished himself by simply harbouring the hope that one day Relena Peacecraft would open her eyes and see green eyes instead of blue. That she would wake up in the middle of the night calling out the name Trowa instead of Heero. His thoughts backtracked and he found himself in conversation with Quatre once again.



<i>?How was she last night?? Asked the soft-spoken blonde as he studied troubled green eyes.

?Same as always. Came home stumbling into her apartment and drunk out of her mind.?

Soft baby blue eyes caressed the tall form of the man before him, reading the pain in the way his green eyes darkened hauntingly. He laid a comforting hand on Trowa?s shoulder in comfort.

?Give her time. She?s still hurting.?

?Sometimes, it seems like she?s been hurting forever.?

?Trowa, I can?t say this without hurting you but?? Quatre turned away. ?Relena Peacecraft died the day Heero Yuy took that bullet for her.?

And Trowa Barton died knowing the truth. And yet the pestering hope that insisted he stayed beside her was buried into his heart too deep for it to leave him.

?I know that. Don?t you think I know that?? Emotions laced his tone as he answered Quatre hoarsely. ?But she needs me, Quatre. And I?d go through hell a million times before I let her waste herself this way. Can?t you see how much she needs me??

?Yes, I do know.? He replied with a gentle smile. ?And maybe someday, she?ll realise that too. Maybe then, she?ll allow herself to see you, Trowa. Not his ghost but you.?

In a silent prayer, Quatre added; and when that day comes, I hope it won?t be too late for the both of you. I hope she?ll realise what you offer her, Trowa, before you decide that it?s a lost cause.

Unbeknownst to Quatre, Trowa?s hope for Relena had already begun its slow descent into earth. And soon after, it would crash and burn in a splendour display of death.</i>




She woke up to the sound of laughter and the smell of fresh cooked bacons and eggs. A strange lightness accompanied her footsteps as she rushed to take her shower and dressed herself. For the first time since his death, she was able to keep her nightmares at bay. And most revealing of all, she had woken up only once to whisper a name. She had been appalled when the name Trowa slipped out her mouth instead of Heero. And even more alarmed when she had searched for the green of his eyes in the dark instead of the Prussian blue she had been accustomed to.

She slipped on a halter blue dress the colour of her eyes. Then she approached the picture by her nightstand. She let out a soft breath before she let her fingers trace the handsome features of the man in the frame. She smiled and the emptiness that had been shadowing her every emotion lifted itself from her soul. Heero would be happy. She knew because the last thing he had ordered her to do was to live. He had threatened her not waste the gift he had offered her with his last breath. A second chance to be happy. Even without him.

?Always, Heero. I love you, always.? And finally, ?Goodbye, darling.?

And she was free.



The loud raucous fell into an awkward hush as Relena entered the warm kitchen of her luxurious apartment. Duo And Hilde stood by the large stove, Duo?s arms around Hilde as they shared the task of flipping pancakes. Milliardo and Noin sat with Quatre at the table, drinking their teas and coffees leisurely. Then her gaze went to Wufei and Sally whose attention was diverted from the newspaper they were reading. All eyes turned to her in surprise.

She only smiled cheerfully and flopped herself down into the nearest chair. ?Morning everyone.? She plucked a strip of bacon from Quatre?s plate and shoved it into her mouth playfully. She almost laughed out loud at the expressions of surprise in their faces. She eyed the breakfast before her wolfishly. ?Hmmm?everything looks so good.? She paused to wink at a flabbergasted Duo. ?I never could resist your cooking, Duo.?

?Uhhh?errr?? Duo stumbled and was rewarded with a cheeky smile. Then getting his humour back replied, ?Of course, Princess! Why do you think women throw themselves all over me? It?s these irresistible eyes of mine and my cooking.?

She laughed in appreciation to his teasing. Then she frowned as she noticed that something was not quite right with the picture. She came down with excitement and thrill in her veins for a reason. She searched the kitchen again and suddenly realised why she didn?t feel complete.

?Where?s Trowa??

Eyes glanced rapidly everywhere and secret glances were traded between the occupants of the room. Alarmed and suspicious, she turned to the gentle Quatre beside her.

?What?s going on? Has something happened?? Fear rippled through her and made breathing suddenly impossible.

Quatre watched the horror of possibilities flash through her eyes and knew for certain that Relena had finally come to her senses. Then he mentally shook his head in sadness. He took her hand and squeezed it to allay his regret.

?Nothing?s happened Relena.?

?Then why is everyone acting like I just dropped a bomb in the middle of the room? I simply asked where Trowa is. Which by the way, anyone has yet to answer.?

?Relena?? Duo wondered if Relena knew that her emotions shone through her face like a beacon. Too little, too late, he thought as he winced in anticipation to what he was about to reveal. ?Trowa left this morning.?

It couldn?t be. Not now. Not when??You mean, he left to visit Catherine? When is he coming back? I need to speak with him.? Where they able to detect the faint tremble in her voice? The tremor of her hands? The desperation to deny what she already knew was the truth?

?No, Relena. He left to go to the space.?

?Oh. To one of the colonies? Why? Is there a mission you guys are working on up there??

Finally unable to bear the pain in his sister?s voice, Milliardo gathered his bearings and confessed softly, ?He just left, Relena. Without telling us where he was headed to or for how long. The last thing he said was for us to take good care of you.?

In a final confirmation that almost became her second death Wufei whispered, ?He?s gone, Relena.?

But instead of breaking down and writhing in agony like she expected herself to do, denial and an obsessive determination overwhelmed her need to cry in pain.

?The hell he is!? The rage in her voice startled the occupants of the room into a deathly silence. ?How dare he! How dare he walk into my life and pull me out of the gutter I?ve holed up myself in and make me feel alive again only to have the nerve to walk out on me! How dare he not have the decency to even wave a goodbye! How dare he make me fall for him head over heels and then pretend like I never even existed!?

Rage brought out the vivid green in her eyes and flushed her cheeks with colour. She stood in the middle of the room with her magnificent rage and varying emotions. Quatre could have cried in relief but for the fact that he didn?t want Relena?s anger directed in his direction. As it was, she was unable to stop her rampage.

?Oh, the nerve of that jerk! To hell with it! He thinks he can just disappear like a shadow completely out of my life as I sit here moping about his absence?? With barely controlled force, she turned her attention to the former gundam pilots and smiled a devious smile that became contagious. The former soldiers read her mind before she gave voice to her thoughts. ?We?re going to do a bit of hunting.?

Duo Maxwell let out an excited laugh as he studied the determined blonde that stood before them. Then he went to her and swept her up into his arms. Noin and Hilde soon followed, their smiles knowing.

?We?ve got us a mission boys!? Duo exclaimed with a grin. ?Not even Trowa Barton can hide from us now.?



<b>To Be Continued?</b>

<b>Note:</b> Tsk tsk. Trowa?s done it now. He?s in for it. Haha.

[Melville's Best Friend]

FINISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





*runs away and hides*




Psssst. *poke*

Finish this. NOW.


*runs and hides again*

[Gigicerisier]

Awwwww.... I love your story, It's an amazing change from your another 3+R masterpiece 'Truely Yours'.

>His gaze wandered to her nightstand and unerringly steadied on a framed photograph of a dark-haired, Prussian eyed man. He wondered, not for the first time, why he punished himself by simply harbouring the hope that one day Relena Peacecraft would open her eyes and see green eyes instead of blue. That she would wake up in the middle of the night calling out the name Trowa instead of Heero.

Ohhh... total angst...


>She gasped as the first full force of water assaulted her naked skin. Her bra and underwear became plastered to her body and lost its purpose in covering what was left of her skin. Dazed and vulnerable, she clung to a pair of hard, broad shoulders to steady herself under the stream of water. As soon as they were done, Trowa dried her with a towel and wrapped her in a comfortable white robe. He carried her back to her bedroom and gently deposited her in her bed.

Awwww Relena you lucky girl!

>?I know that. Don?t you think I know that?? Emotions laced his tone as he answered Quatre hoarsely. ?But she needs me, Quatre. And I?d go through hell a million times before I let her waste herself this way. Can?t you see how much she needs me??

Gahhh! Poor Trowa!! He really deserves eternal happiness with Relena! but I was very relieved to see that your Trowa will have her heart since I was totally petrified by reading another very depressing 3+R fic by Kanya.

>Trowa entered the dark bedroom with a glass of water and the medicine only to find Relena curled up on her side and sleeping fitfully. He hesitated before coming fully into the room for fear of disturbing her. The moon shone through the drapes of her windows and bathed her in its soft light. In a trance, he blended with the shadows and stood near her bed, and just watched. He kept to himself the urge to touch her, to slide his hands against her soft skin. To feel the warmth of her breath against his and confirm her existence.

I really love this part, Trowa is such a gentle soul. Raine, I know you are a queen of Angst but but... please let Trowa and Relena be together! (well, if there will be more death other than Heero, please at least let them die together after Relena confessed her love to her beloved green eyed guardian angel. please!!)

I am looking forward to reading your new chapter! Keep writing!


I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying. ~Oscar Wilde

Relena and Trowa forever!
Gigicerisier

[Ellie]

Oooh ... I like. Please continue!

[Kanya Barton]

OMG, you are such a good writer Raine! And I did what you told me to do...I wrote a story!(GO ME!) It's depressing...I'm proud of it though! Ummm please tell me what you think of it...
Awesome story otherwise...please hurry and get the next part out as soon as you can! Pretty please?!
Peace out!

[Nausica?]

Damn it all, Raine, I'm so jealous of you! :-? You've been putting out so much, and here I sit with writer's block screwing with my head...

Well, at least it's 3xR you've been writing recently. No one can complain about that

Keep them chapters coming, babe, cause you know I'll be reading...

* muah *


- Naus

[SvelteRose]

Yeahh! Another 3xR! I just *love* this pairing. ^_^

[RDP]

Awww...Heero died and now Relena's trying to drink away the pain, but just when she accepts his death Trowa gives her more! But we all know that Duo's going to find him, because Heero wouldn't want Lena to have a sad life. Write so we can find out what happens next. And as an afterthought...you must update Dangerous To Love also!

[lilac310]

blue and green....i love those colours!!!...just like heero and trowa...keep this up!!!

[sweetangel]

Cute....can't wait for the update. I'm always for another one of your 3XR stories.