A Simple Question
Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2003 9:41 am
A Simple Question
AN: Fluff abounds. I don?t know why, but the other day when I was working on Shameless, Heero and Rel decided to have a conversation set in the hospital just after the Mariameia incident.
Dedicated to Melodrama, to combat all the angsties running rampant on the board. I'm posting it here because it seems like there are quite a few others who could use the cheering up.... My apologies for it being mostly sucky. Love, Rose
White, fluorescent light beat harsh rays down upon the sleeping figure in the hospital bed. Black circles marred the flesh under Heero?s eyes, and dark-colored stubble peppered the skin along his jaw. Relena traced her hand across his forehead and down the side of his cheek. She bent and pressed a kiss to the top of his head, then turned to exit the room.
"Why do you love me?" His voice sounded hoarse and fatigued, but succeeded in calling her back into the room. She sat down on the edge of his bed.
"Hm." Relena smiled around the word. "Because I can." She sent him a fond glance over her shoulder.
Heero frowned.
Her playful mood instantly sobered. "You're serious."
"Yes."
"Why do I love you?? Relena took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. ?That's a very logical question.? She glanced down at her hands. ?There's not really a logical answer."
"Hn."
She turned her head to study him. "Let's see. I love you because you're strong and brave, kind-hearted and giving..."
His scowl deepened. "I don't see those things."
"It doesn't matter."
Heero looked away. "It should."
"So I can't see things in you that you don't see?"
She waited for a reply. Seconds ticked on the overhead clock, but he remained silent.
"I told you once before... You gave me hope, and strength?"
"You had it all along.? His tone was terse, angry. He shot a dark look in her direction. ?You just needed someone to focus on. It could have been anyone."
"No, it couldn't have been anyone, and it wasn't.? Her voice rose against his accusation. ?I believed in you. I did some extremely difficult things, things I didn?t know how to do, or necessarily want to do?? Relena paused and took a steadying breath. ?But I did them because I wanted to be more like you. I wanted you to think I was strong, too." She smoothed a lock of hair out of his face. He turned away again, but she tipped his chin to look up at her. "Those were the reasons I was drawn to you. You changed? everything."
"I threatened you."
She dropped her hands back to her lap. "Yes, I suppose you did."
He scowled. "I held a gun to your head."
"I remember."
"And you?got in the way. I never understood..."
"It's not to understand. I cared, and I didn't want you to die. Even if it meant my death."
Heero blinked. "That's why...But that's the same...reason I became a soldier." He gasped and winced as he struggled to sit up.
Relena felt her heart drop and moved to help him. "Are you--"
"I?m fine." His face creased into its usual frown as he watched her from his new position. "We?re different, Relena."
"Perhaps." She tilted her head as she gazed down at him. ?But I think we're more alike than different."
"You haven't answered the question." Heero still wasn?t looking at her. Why did she love him? Why did that matter? Did he feel insecure? That seemed highly doubtful.
She shrugged. "It's simple, really." Relena took a deep breath and shifted around on the mattress; she sat alongside him, one leg resting Indian-style, the other foot touching the floor.
"Hn."
"I love you because you're you." She brushed a kiss against his lips. He pulled away, and stared up at her with wide, unblinking eyes. She smiled again, then leaned forward to nibble his mouth. Relena closed her eyes when he began to respond. Several seconds passed; when her head was sufficiently buzzed and her lips tingling, she pulled away.
"So..."
He studied the sheet lying across his waist.
"Why do you...care about me?"
He continued to scrutinize the bed covers for a long moment. Relena's heart felt like it stopped beating. She had been so sure he felt the same for her, and yet, the way he looked now...
His eyes finally lifted and met her gaze. His brow was knit tightly into a confused expression. "You're right, it's not a logical answer."
Relief bubbled up to her throat, and came out as a laugh. She smiled when his hand came to rest on top of hers. His palm was warm, and calloused, and it was enough to say he cared. But she had hoped...
His arm floated up to touch her cheek with the back of his hand. She closed her eyes and leaned into the caress.
"I love you, Relena."
And that was all she needed to know.
**********************************
Geh. Well, short fluff pieces are rare from me, and this is why (cuz they suck). Thanks for reading!
AN: Fluff abounds. I don?t know why, but the other day when I was working on Shameless, Heero and Rel decided to have a conversation set in the hospital just after the Mariameia incident.
Dedicated to Melodrama, to combat all the angsties running rampant on the board. I'm posting it here because it seems like there are quite a few others who could use the cheering up.... My apologies for it being mostly sucky. Love, Rose
White, fluorescent light beat harsh rays down upon the sleeping figure in the hospital bed. Black circles marred the flesh under Heero?s eyes, and dark-colored stubble peppered the skin along his jaw. Relena traced her hand across his forehead and down the side of his cheek. She bent and pressed a kiss to the top of his head, then turned to exit the room.
"Why do you love me?" His voice sounded hoarse and fatigued, but succeeded in calling her back into the room. She sat down on the edge of his bed.
"Hm." Relena smiled around the word. "Because I can." She sent him a fond glance over her shoulder.
Heero frowned.
Her playful mood instantly sobered. "You're serious."
"Yes."
"Why do I love you?? Relena took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. ?That's a very logical question.? She glanced down at her hands. ?There's not really a logical answer."
"Hn."
She turned her head to study him. "Let's see. I love you because you're strong and brave, kind-hearted and giving..."
His scowl deepened. "I don't see those things."
"It doesn't matter."
Heero looked away. "It should."
"So I can't see things in you that you don't see?"
She waited for a reply. Seconds ticked on the overhead clock, but he remained silent.
"I told you once before... You gave me hope, and strength?"
"You had it all along.? His tone was terse, angry. He shot a dark look in her direction. ?You just needed someone to focus on. It could have been anyone."
"No, it couldn't have been anyone, and it wasn't.? Her voice rose against his accusation. ?I believed in you. I did some extremely difficult things, things I didn?t know how to do, or necessarily want to do?? Relena paused and took a steadying breath. ?But I did them because I wanted to be more like you. I wanted you to think I was strong, too." She smoothed a lock of hair out of his face. He turned away again, but she tipped his chin to look up at her. "Those were the reasons I was drawn to you. You changed? everything."
"I threatened you."
She dropped her hands back to her lap. "Yes, I suppose you did."
He scowled. "I held a gun to your head."
"I remember."
"And you?got in the way. I never understood..."
"It's not to understand. I cared, and I didn't want you to die. Even if it meant my death."
Heero blinked. "That's why...But that's the same...reason I became a soldier." He gasped and winced as he struggled to sit up.
Relena felt her heart drop and moved to help him. "Are you--"
"I?m fine." His face creased into its usual frown as he watched her from his new position. "We?re different, Relena."
"Perhaps." She tilted her head as she gazed down at him. ?But I think we're more alike than different."
"You haven't answered the question." Heero still wasn?t looking at her. Why did she love him? Why did that matter? Did he feel insecure? That seemed highly doubtful.
She shrugged. "It's simple, really." Relena took a deep breath and shifted around on the mattress; she sat alongside him, one leg resting Indian-style, the other foot touching the floor.
"Hn."
"I love you because you're you." She brushed a kiss against his lips. He pulled away, and stared up at her with wide, unblinking eyes. She smiled again, then leaned forward to nibble his mouth. Relena closed her eyes when he began to respond. Several seconds passed; when her head was sufficiently buzzed and her lips tingling, she pulled away.
"So..."
He studied the sheet lying across his waist.
"Why do you...care about me?"
He continued to scrutinize the bed covers for a long moment. Relena's heart felt like it stopped beating. She had been so sure he felt the same for her, and yet, the way he looked now...
His eyes finally lifted and met her gaze. His brow was knit tightly into a confused expression. "You're right, it's not a logical answer."
Relief bubbled up to her throat, and came out as a laugh. She smiled when his hand came to rest on top of hers. His palm was warm, and calloused, and it was enough to say he cared. But she had hoped...
His arm floated up to touch her cheek with the back of his hand. She closed her eyes and leaned into the caress.
"I love you, Relena."
And that was all she needed to know.
**********************************
Geh. Well, short fluff pieces are rare from me, and this is why (cuz they suck). Thanks for reading!
I liked this, Eden liked this, about two or three-hundred other people will probably like it...so there!
