Final Mission Status 4/? Coauthored by Mizaya and Zapenstap

[zapenstap]

Final Mission Status

Chapter 4

By Mizaya and Zapenstap





Some sweet dream slipped away as Relena stirred awake and slowly blinked open her eyes. She stretched, burying her head deeper into the pillow, and it was a few moments before she remembered that she was not alone in bed and that there were cameras watching her. Rolling over onto her side, she found herself looking over the pillow into Heero?s open eyes. Before she could look startled, she relaxed and smiled, wondering inwardly how long he had been laying there staring at her.

Without uttering a word, Heero lifted his hand to trace a faint line up her arm. She swallowed, the electric signals from his fingertips pebbling her skin. His eyes remained on her face and Relena remembered the feel of his lips on hers, the tender heat of his mouth and the comfort of his body as she had lain so close against him.

?I?m the one who loves you, Relena.?

Her heart thudded loudly. What did that mean? Wondering mindlessly if she would get to feel his kiss again, to drink in the softness of his lips while this opportunity existed, she almost didn?t realize it when Heero sat up and rose from the bed.

?I?m going to take a shower,? he said. His statement seemed to be a bit of a question and it took her a moment before she realized it was probably because he was wondering if she was in a rush to get ready. Blinking, orientating herself again to their mission, Relena glanced at her bedside clock and nodded.

?Sure. I?ll go put some coffee.?

Heero didn?t look back at her when he strode across the room and into the bathroom, but Relena?s eyes were glued to the beauty of his form. Uncovered but for those shorts, it was possible to see his muscles rippling beneath his skin. Her eyes traced lines along his back, running up his spine and across the breadth of his shoulders. From the way he moved, it was like he could kill at any time, and do it languidly, with time to spare. Heero Yuy was a human weapon, efficient, beautiful and deadly. A highly attractive human weapon.

Shaking out a sudden (inappropriate!) desire that had to be just casual musings brought on by too much reading and television, Relena got up from the bed herself, wrapped her satin robe over her shoulders, and made her way downstairs. Her movements seemed slow, as she wasn?t fully awake yet, but she managed to make the coffee and pour two cups before returning to her bedroom. When one had a lifestyle that involved long hours of work and short periods of sleep, coffee was a faithful friend, or so Relena had observed.

?I brought you some coffee,? she began, stopped short.

Heero had just gotten out of the shower apparently, because beads of water still slid down his body. His naked body. Completely naked. He was pulling his underclothes from the dresser drawer, a pair of dress pants laid out across their bed, but at her words he looked up. His eyes bore into hers and she fought not to blush at seeing him. Her stomach lurched, her nerves all on end so that she felt even the plush carpet under her toes. She tried to glance away, but she couldn?t. Her eyes wandered all over Heero?s body, staring right where she shouldn?t. She wanted to look. She was too entranced to even feel guilty.

He remained cool under her stare. She held the saucers in her hand, not sure where to put them as Heero turned back to the dresser. Slowly and unhurriedly he pulled on a pair of boxers before he put on the dress pants he had laid out across the bed. His being half dressed didn?t affect her memory and she continued to just watch him, trying to keep her expression cool even as her body felt suspiciously warm.

Her heart beat faster as he came closer to her, taking both cups from her hand. ?Thanks.? He set them down on the dresser with a clink and turned back to her. ?I have to leave early today. I probably won?t see you until tonight.? His statement was so natural, in his own way, that she wondered if the tinge of regret in his voice was real.

?All right,? she said. ?Have a good day.? She meant it. Such mundane words were cherished by her, for the sheer fact that she could share mundane words with Heero. Even if this situation was a fantasy, there wasn?t a script. With him standing right in front of her, his skin glistening with water droplets and his eyes conveying such raw fire, it was hard to tell herself that it was indeed a fantasy, or to scold herself for hoping and even believing that maybe it wasn?t.

?You, too,? he responded, and brushed a finger fondly against her cheek.

The movement caught her by surprise. Standing barefoot in her nightgown, just inches in front of Heero, Relena managed to just smile, assuming that he would go back to getting ready. But Heero?s eyes caught hers when she looked up. She didn?t know what her eyes looked like. His were unreadable, but with only a little hitch in his step he was stepping into her, wrapping one arm around her waist and pulling her nearer to his body. His other hand brushed her hair behind her ear and guided her head close to his. With her eyes sliding shut, Relena let her other senses take over. Water warmed from being on his body seeped through her nightgown, and an overwhelmingly clean scent of soap, shampoo, and Heero himself made her head dizzy. Her real attention, though, was on her lips, and the anticipation of what she knew was coming.

Heero?s mouth met hers in mimicry of the previous night?s actions. Although she expected a short kiss like that first one, Heero continued to press her to him as he moved his lips over hers. She felt her bottom lip pulled between his and sucked upon lightly. It was beyond any sensation she had ever felt. Her thoughts and reservations flew out the window. Relena responded as if pulled by a string, tasting at his lips with her tongue until his dipped out to meet it. They explored each other?s mouths passionately, running their tongues slowly over every reachable part. Heero?s arms wrapped around her back, his hands running up and down her spine while Relena lifted her hands to his head and sank her fingers into his damp hair to give herself some support in case her legs gave out. She thought they might, but she didn?t want it to stop.

It was almost excruciating when Heero broke the kiss, the breath from his mouth warming her cheeks as he pulled away. When she opened her eyes he loomed over her, looking down on her face with a carefully composed expression. His chest heaved as he breathed heavily. Her own body trembled.

?Heero?? she said, and didn?t know what else to say. His face was a careful mask. Perhaps it was not real. Or maybe it was. She didn?t care. ?I love you.?

?You need to get ready,? he said seriously, letting his hands fall away from her shoulders. ?I love you too. See you tonight.?

Relena?s body was numb. That couldn?t be real?could it? Her heart was still beating a mile a minute. The traces of his lips and hands and scent had not left her. She felt a void form around her with the loss of his going, but she managed to repeat his farewell before adjourning to the bathroom to shower. Once she had stripped her nightgown off and stepped into the steaming shower, she collapsed against the wall and let the streams of water pour over her.



*****



Trowa adjusted his earpiece with one hand and stirred some sugar into his tea with the other. Pivoting gracefully, Trowa made his way across the small Preventer break room to the round table that took up most of the area. A newspaper that had been abandoned by someone grabbed his attention and he began sorting through it, enjoying the quiet respite from his office. The break room was normally busy in the mornings, but he was in Headquarters earlier than usual, before the 9:00 shift arrived.

Technically, he had been on call all through the night, listening through the earpiece he had connected by satellite to Private Richardson?s comm link. Cole had supplied the comm link for covert communications between terrorist and mole, but Trowa had no trouble infiltrating the channel. So far, other than a quick call to let Cole know that the surveillance hardware was installed, all Trowa had heard was dead air. Lady Une and Zechs had put him in charge of running the mission, though, and he wanted to make sure it went as planned, even if it meant little sleep and long hours.

?What are you talking about this time?? Wufei?s lazy, somewhat arrogant tone came seconds before he entered the room, being trailed by an amused Sally Po.

?Oh, come on, Wufei. You?re spilling the details if I have to sit on you and beat them out.?

Wufei smirked. ?Are you threatening me??

?You?d better believe it.?

?For a bit of gossip?? He sounded surprised. He always did when anyone fell beneath his standard of honor. ?Just like a woman. Well, sorry. I don?t kiss and tell.?

?You?re not the one kissing!?

?The principle is the same.?

Trowa had to chuckle to himself. The way Sally goaded Wufei into being somewhat social was amusing. It was difficult to say who won in this particular argument as it was obvious Sally really wanted more than just getting Wufei to chat with her. Trowa assumed the matter being discussed was the two kisses shared by Relena and Heero that the cameras had captured. Wufei, as the graveyard shift monitor, had reported them?very stoically?along with other technicalities of the first night of the mission when Trowa had arrived at work. Apparently Sally wanted more description than the ?one kiss at 2300 hours lasting 2 seconds and one at 0700 hours lasting 49 seconds? that the Chinese warrior had given him. Wufei refused to budge, and took to disparaging anyone who admitted to overwhelming curiosity. Incidentally, though he had once remarked that this mission was an unworthy encroachment on the honor of both Heero and Relena as well as Heero?s skills as a soldier, Trowa suspected Wufei was secretly as interested as the rest of them. However, his sense of honor?other people?s as well as his own?made him discreet. That discretion won him prime time viewing positions. Duo was not the only one jealous.

But Sally only sighed in defeat.

?Morning, Trowa,? she laughed when the pair of them became visible. ?I suppose you wouldn?t be willing to share more about these infamous kisses, would you? Wufei?s being a little pig-headed.? She smirked at the target of her jibes, whose crossed arms and raised eyebrows spoke volumes. ?He forgets what happened last time he held back information from me.?

Wufei?s eyes narrowed, something sly and mischievous flashing through his eyes as opened his mouth to respond, but Trowa sharply raised a hand to stop any further speech. The bug earpiece had begun transmitting a conversation between Cole and Richardson that required his full attention. Wufei folded his arms across his chest, not bothering to stifle his frown. Sally put her palms flat on the table top and leaned forward intently.

?The kiss?? Trowa heard Douglas?s voice saying. ?Did you see??

?Yes,? It was clearly William Cole. ?Do you think there?s a problem??

There was a pause on the end of the line. ?Perhaps not,? Douglas said. ?It was? hot. I just wonder? Why did it stop there??

Trowa?s expression remained steady as the conversation continued, but his tension must have shown because Wufei and Sally remained silent even after the communication ended with a click. Trowa made eye contact with each of his comrades and rose before addressing them in a calm tone. ?We seem to have a problem.?

?Who is monitoring?? Sally asked. ?Did something happen? Did they do something wrong??

?I?ll fill you in later,? Trowa said.

Rushing past them without wasting time to explain, he hurried to Une?s office. He didn?t even acknowledge her secretary, who called to him when he pushed open the heavy door. Une and Zechs were both inside, Une seemingly trying to placate Zechs about something. Neither looked particularly pleased at him entering unannounced, but it wasn?t because they found him rude; they knew his intrusion meant some sort of crisis.

?Cole isn?t convinced,? he stated bluntly.



*****



Relena stared at the screen of her laptop, getting her afternoon speech up to her standards. If concentrating remained as difficult for the rest of her mission she would have a lot of catching up to do. No matter how deeply she buried the taste of Heero?s mouth in her memory, it popped up to the surface like a buoy. Her mind kept convincing her that if she licked her lips she would still be able to taste him there. Julie, her assistant, probably thought she was in desperate need of chapstick.

?Is everything all right, Miss Darlian? You seem a bit distracted this morning.?

Relena shook her head. ?No, Julie, I?m fine. I just slept poorly last night.? It wasn?t a lie. Sleeping by Heero?s side with his arm over her torso had kept her up long into the night. ?Has the transportation service arrived yet??

She had an early meeting with the ESUN L4 delegates in the convention center across town in less than a half hour. Normally, her escort was prompt. Anywhere she went, Preventers provided her with a bodyguard and a secure driving service, since terrorist threats such as the one facing her weren?t uncommon in her line of work. Preventers were never late. It made her nervous.

?I?ll go call them,? she said helpfully, leaving Relena?s office to use the phone at her own desk, right outside the door. Relena stared blankly at the computer screen until she returned a few minutes later. ?Miss Darlian? Officer Miller was scheduled to serve as your escort today, but he was involved in a car accident on his way to work, so another officer is being sent to replace him. He should be here any minute. They apologize for any inconvenience.?

?Thank you, Julie.?

Just as Relena was starting to feel panicked about being tardy for her meeting, a curt knock came to the door. She glanced up from her laptop with a start. Her replacement officer was Heero.

Her senses picked up on his presence and heightened her awareness as he closed the distance between them. How was she supposed to act? She assumed he was probably just available, unless he had wanted to escort her. Her heart leaped at the thought, and she wondered what to think or say. She looked up in time to see Julie stepping out of her office to answer her phone, closing the door behind her. That left her alone with Heero, who seemed to have turned to stone before her, his steely gaze transfixed on her, though not in a way she could read.

?I guess we meet sooner than expected,? she said with a smile, circling her desk to grab her briefcase and purse for her meeting. ?I hope acting as a substitute bodyguard didn?t interfere with your day too much.? As she moved to the door, she stopped in front of him, trying to smile through his hard shell. When he didn?t react, Relena laid her hand on his wrist gently, but if anything he stiffened.

?We should leave,? he said.

Smothering her confusion, Relena walked ahead of him and to the elevator. The ride down alone with him at her side was silent enough for her thoughts to seem like screams in her head. It was silly to feel let down at Heero?s statuesque attitude. That was just the way he was, but the kiss still lingered on her lips, and she swallowed as her eyes wandered over his face and shoulders and hands, wondering what he was thinking and how she was supposed to behave.

Relena continued her internal dialogue through the lobby of the building and into the waiting limousine. He let her climb into the shining black car to settle into the window seat before following and sitting beside her, arms crossed and eyes staring straight ahead. If he noticed her silence, he made no sign of it.

When the car was only blocks away from their destination, Relena summoned courage and turned a bit to face him. Before she opened her mouth, he turned to look at her, meeting her stare with a piercing one of his own. Relena smiled in her best diplomatic fashion and placed her hands on her legs in a form of open body language. The tiny nuances of being a politician came naturally to her after only a few short years.

?Heero,? she said, and faltered, surprised when she couldn?t hide the hint of awkwardness that came from a sudden emotional surge. The words she had meant to say vanished from her mind. She closed her mouth, heart beating, trying to organize her thoughts. Looking at him, all she wanted to do was get closer to him. ?We should at least act like we know each other,? she said. Her heart fluttered like a trapped butterfly.

He didn?t respond, nothing but his eyes moving, and those merely flicking from her face to the other corner of their shared space.

Her voice shook slightly as her fingers clung to his wrist. Something about his face? She wanted to kiss him. ?Heero, I love you.?

He pulled away from her, the flexing of his muscles making her hand spring away. ?We don?t need to do this off camera, Relena.? The firm line of his jaw became even more rigid. He spoke with such a cold, emotionless tone that Relena shivered.

When the car stopped in front of the building, she felt like her heart stopped as well. Heero got out without looking back at her, almost as if he could wait to escape her presence. Swallowing, Relena took several deep, steadying breaths.

When she stepped out of the car, Relena passed a hand over her eyes to make sure they were still dry. Heero glanced at her as she fought to hold back her tears, his mouth parting as if to say something. Even if it was an apology, Relena couldn?t face him. She looked carefully away from his face and was only vaguely aware when Sally Po joined the pair of them on the curb, pulling Heero aside by the arm. His expression changed from momentarily worried to stoic in an instant. They spoke together and he nodded, his face becoming a grim mask before he took off walking with long, brisk strides toward Sally?s Preventer car. Relena watched him walk away, feeling like the inside of her body was made of nothing but air and her head full of water. She barely registered Sally slipping her arm around hers and walking her inside.

?Hey, you okay, Relena??

Relena managed to collect herself and smiled, brightly, as if nothing could possibly be better. ?Yes, Sally. My mind was elsewhere for a minute. I apologize.?

The older woman laughed in her easy manner. ?No need to apologize. You deserve a break every once in a while too, even if it is just a mental one. I was saying that I guess you got two substitutes in one day. I?m not sure what your brother wanted with Heero, but I?ll take good care of you for today.?

?Thank you, Sally,? she answered cordially. If Milliardo wanted to see Heero, it probably had something to do with the mission. Her heart began to beat in her chest. There was so much that she didn?t understand, and everyone was leaving her in the dark.



*****



Tapping his fingers impatiently on the arm of Heero?s desk chair, Zechs glanced at the clock again. Every second that ticked by seemed to wind him up tighter, until he thought the pressure might cause him to snap.

Any of the frustration or rage that he felt from his meeting with Une and Barton was masked when his old rival Heero Yuy entered the room. If Heero was surprised to see Zechs sitting at his desk, he didn?t show it. He simply waited, his eyes fierce and demanding, but veiling his emotions in the same way as Zechs?. Zechs expected nothing less. There was a great deal of mutual respect between them, as men and soldiers, though it was not quite a friendship.

?Heero,? he said smoothly, but with that hint of competition that had always tinged their relations.

Heero?s eyes narrowed, the small smile on his lips almost indiscernible. ?Zechs.?

?Sit down, Heero.? Zechs waved to Heero?s other chair, positioned in front of his own desk, but Heero didn?t complain that Zechs was ordering him around in his own domain. Heero never took much possession of anything. He was used to living without attachments. The office was barren, no personal d?cor of any kind, the papers stacked in utmost order and ready for efficient filing.

When Heero spoke, his countenance was cool and controlled. ?Sally told me to come here. She didn?t say why. Is there a problem with the mission??

Zechs wanted to smile at the manner in which Heero cut to the chase, but he couldn?t. His jaw locked as he forced himself to begin.

?You kissed Relena this morning.?

There was a breath of silence where Heero might have stopped breathing, though it was impossible to tell. Zechs stared at Heero hard, searching for some kind of reaction that would indicate his feelings, either in regard to the act itself or in being confronted about it, but Heero?s eyes didn?t change, nor did his hands move. If anything, he was frozen still.
Zechs had not seen the kiss. He had only heard about it, and Une was not the most forthcoming source when it came to matters that might upset him. Still, he had heard enough. His own hands clenched as he and Heero locked eyes

At length, Heero?s eyes narrowed. ?What is this about??

?It?s about you and Relena,? Zechs said slowly, enunciating every word. ?I don?t have to remind you that I?ve watched over her since she was a baby. This development does not make me the slightest bit happy.? If anything, Heero?s eyes narrowed further, and Zechs knew instinctively that they were once more in competition.

?Just say what you have to say, Zechs.?

?I?m not the only one concerned about that kiss, Heero,? he said, punctuating the words as if trying to make them bleed. He fought to keep his emotions under control, to calm the rage that boiled just under his skin. ?Cole isn?t convinced the two of you are newly weds. I?m here to tell you personally, because this matter is of greatest concern to me.?

He saw he had Heero confused now by the way his intensity lifted briefly. Zechs made sure that he did not break eye contact, boring into him with a penetrating, threatening stare.

?You?re going to have to sleep with her.?

Heero?s mouth parted, his eyes clearing as if all of his thoughts had been wiped clean. ?What?? Zechs had never heard Heero baffled before.

?It has to be real, Heero.?





Mizaya: um, it looks like the rating on this story is about to go up.
Zapenstap: yep, looks like it. We?ll raise it anyway, just in case. So all you readers should be aware to check for that.
Mizaya: Don?t worry about graphicness. We?re tasteful.
Zapenstap: Sorry for the delay in the update. I?m a busy busy girl. O_O
Mizaya: me too ^_________^
Zapenstap: anyway, this story has a ways to go yet so please keep reading.
Mizaya: your reviews are so wonderful! I?m beside myself with happiness. T_T
Zapenstap: T_T me too. Keep it up!

[Calla Lily]

First of all, I'll leave a better review on FF.net...

In the meanwhile....

*JOY!!!!!!!!!*

See how thrilled I am to see the next chapter? And don't worry about updating so quickly, you know we love you two.

[Tomorrow]

Oh. My. Gosh. Wha... how... who...? Suspense... dying of suspense here. Too speechless and entranced with the story for coherent comments.

More. Now. Beautiful.

[Kari]

WHAT???!!! You stopped!! Oh this is so not funny.
I wanna read the next one.

[Morrighan]

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

More, more, more, more, more, more, more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



*glomps Zapenstap and Miyaza* Thanks for the wonderful, wonderful, wonderful 17th birthday present!!!!!!!

[Wingnut]

Oh, what a tangled web we weave.
I can't wait to see how you handle this!
How many different shades of red are there? 'Cause all of them are going to cover Relena's face when she gets wind of this. And oh is she going to be pissed at the fact that it is all just another mission to Heero. Who would be the fisrt casulity as a result of that, Heero for doing the act which is meaning less to him, or Zechs for giveing him teh order to do it?
The truth must be known!
And it must be known ASAP!!

[Mizaya]

*glomps Zapenstap and Miyaza* Thanks for the wonderful, wonderful, wonderful 17th birthday present!!!!!!!

*GLOMP* Happy Birthday to you, Morrighan! Glad we could provide such timely delivery of the fic for you

btw, aren't we sneaky??? Hehe, you guys just wait. This is only the tip of the iceberg!

[Lady Casper]

oh keep it up. I'm dying to know the rest of this. Well sorta. Considering that fact that ghost dont die and all. But im dying of anticapation. Oh love this fic.

[J Alberghini]

Oh my Lord! Now THAT's a twist. Poor Relena.

Relena: Poor me? Why? I get to sleep with Heero.

Me: Which will possibly leave you emotionally scarred for life.

Relena: Oh, yeah right.

Why do I have the feeling that something is going to happen that is going to make her end up crying? Maybe it has something to do with the last chapter of Desires of the Heart (which was really well done, but i couldn't tell you cause my computer messed up my review). In any case, great chapter! Can't wait to read the next one!

[Katisha888]

First thought: I don't believe it! I don't believe it! I don't believe it!
Milliardo telling Heero that he has to sleep with his baby sister? Its impossible, its improbable...its not like telling him to go out on a date with his sister.

Then, OMG! Sleeping with her, with all those cameras...hey...wait a minute..."sleeping with her" not "make love to her", "have sex with her"...hmmm...is there supposed to be a loophole in this somewhere?

I'm getting suspicious...but on second thought...



Am so excited about the idea of how they are going to pull this off that I'm letting all those other thoughts wash away in a tide of giddiness.

I still want to see whats going on in Heero's head though it may not be that conducive to the story, and I wish Relena wouldn't have that a hard time with it...maybe some payback for her after some time.

Argh, you :evil: person you....now I won't be able to sleep!

*sneakily*

Hey, I have an upcoming birthday too...wouldn't it be nice to have the next chapter as a birthday gift? *whistles innocently and walks off*